Is This Another Death by Misadventure?
by xAzureFangx
Summary: Copper's son, Harley, escapes from his abusive owner and meets up with Tod's son Cedar. They try to start a new life together away from hunters, but it isn't as easy at it seems. Blood, gore, some language, character death.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The young dog lay in the shade of the tree he was tied to, stretched out in the cool grass. The past days had been unbearably hot, but fortunately the temperature had dropped down a bit today. He snoozed contently, his snoring mingling with the buzzing of cicadas.

"Hey, Harley ol' boy," came a gruff voice. The dog raised his head, awake, and wagged his tail at his owner, a scruffy old man named Amos Slade.

"Someone's comin' by soon to take a look at ya. One of his huntin' dogs died and he needs a replacement. All your siblings have found new homes, and now it's your turn." Amos smiled, his huge grayish-brown mustache lifting upwards.

The dog, Harley, let out a happy bark and licked Amos's hand. He couldn't understand exactly what his master was saying, but he liked it when his master talked to him in a warm voice. It often meant something fun or exciting was going to happen, and this time it seemed like it was going to involve hunting. Being just under a year old, Harley hadn't had too much experience hunting, but he'd accompanied Amos and his mother and father out on a few rabbit hunts. He was a slender but muscular hound mix, his mother a purebred black and tan coonhound, and his father a bloodhound mix. Both were skilled hunters still in their prime, and Harley couldn't wait to become a full-time hunter himself and impress Amos.

Of course, any day now a new master could come and claim Harley. Within the past month, other hunters had come and taken away his four siblings. Harley wasn't surprised that he was the last one left—he'd been the runt of the litter, and the other puppies had been much stronger, swifter, and had better senses of smell. But recently he'd begun to show some potential. Just the other day, Amos had Harley track down a badger that had been sneaking into his chicken coop and killing hens in the dead of night. Harley had managed to find the pesky animal, chase it down, and kill it. Amos had praised Harley like never before, and the hound had been very proud of himself.

Amos untied the rope from Harley's collar that bound him to the tree, letting him stretch his legs for a bit. Harley bounded over to his parents' kennels, which were overturned barrels lined with straw.

"Hey Mom, Dad! Guess what! I think the master's going to take me hunting again!" Harley barked.

His parents, who had also been napping, looked sleepily up at him.

"That's great. You're finally starting to show some talent," said his mother with a smile. She stepped out of her kennel and stretched, her black and tan coat shining in the sunlight. Her name was Belle, and she was a prize-winning show and hunting dog. Amos had gotten her through a game of drunk gambling with her master at the country fair, needing a replacement for his old dog Chief, who had passed away due to his age last year, and a mate for his younger dog, Copper. Belle's owner hadn't wanted her to breed with a mutt, but a few pints of beer had made him less adamant about that, and Amos won her.

Copper also looked up and smiled at his son. He was a big dog, with the wrinkled face and deep chest of a bloodhound, but his coloring indicated he wasn't purebred. He was golden brown, with a dark brown patch on his back and ears, and white paws, muzzle, and underside. Harley looked almost exactly like him, only his ears were lighter and he had a black patch on his back.

"Hm, I wonder who that is," said Copper, suddenly turning his head. Harley looked to see a truck pulling up next to the house. It was dull green with patches of rust, and the engine stuttered as it stopped. Tied down to the flatbed was a large dog kennel. A short, skinny man got out, wearing nothing but a white shirt and overalls. He had a long, scraggly red beard, and by the way he walked, he looked like he'd had a few beers on the way over.

"I wonder if that's someone coming to claim you." Copper turned to Harley.

Belle wrinkled her nose with disgust. "He better not be. I can smell the alcohol on him from over here. I don't want some wasted idiot training my son." Belle was a very proud dog, and wanted nothing but the best for her and her family.

Amos went lumbering past the dogs, but stooped to untie Copper and Belle from their kennels. "You two can have some time to say goodbye while I talk to Travis," he said, then made his way towards the other man.

Harley suddenly felt nervous. He looked to his parents and said, "Mom, Dad, what if this man _is_ going to take me away? I…I've never been away from you…"

"All dogs have to eventually leave their parents," said Copper gently, touching his nose to his sons'. "Be thankful you got to spend a whole year with us—I was so young when I was taken away from my mother that I don't remember her."

"But I'll miss you," Harley whined.

"We'll miss you too." Belle licked his ear. "But you're a hound, and you've got hunting to do. I know you'll make your new master proud."

"Just think of all the critters you'll get to chase," Copper pointed out.

Harley wagged his tail. "You're right. Maybe I'll get to hunt a fox! I've heard they're really fast and hard to catch."

"You might," said Copper. "You probably won't get to chase one if you stay here."

"Huh?" Harley tilted his head in confusion.

"Eh, well…" Copper seemed hesitant all of a sudden. "The master's getting quite old, and he can't hunt as well as he used to. Like you said, foxes are very quick, so he goes after easier game, like badgers and rabbits."

But Harley could tell Copper wasn't telling him everything. Sensing the young hound's curiosity, Copper turned to Belle and said, "Do you mind if Harley and I have a man-to-man talk for a moment? I want to tell him a little something before he goes off."

Belle opened her mouth, as if to protest, but Copper raised his eyebrows at her, and she looked at the ground and said, "I guess so. I need to stretch my legs anyways." She got up and wandered towards the hill at the edge of the property.

Copper turned to Harley and said, "I didn't want your mother to hear this because…well, I haven't told anyone what I'm about to tell you."

Harley's ears perked up. "Huh? Why not?"

"Well…despite being old, there's another reason why Amos doesn't hunt foxes anymore," said Copper quietly. "I wasn't going to tell anyone, but I think you'd understand this more than your mother."

Now Harley was deeply intrigued. "Come on, tell me!"

Copper looked in the direction Belle had gone, towards the hill. "You see that hill over there? It leads to a clearing where I met my first friend, when I was just a little puppy."

"Your first friend?" Harley cocked his head.

"Yes. His name was Tod, and he was a baby fox."

Harley gasped. "A…a fox? But Dad, don't we hunt foxes?"

"Yes," said Copper slowly. "But let me continue. Tod lost his mother to a hunter when he was just a newborn. You know the old lady who lives nearby, Willow Tweed? She found Tod and took him in, raised him as her pet. We met up one day and started playing. He was actually pretty fun to play with, even though he was much faster and smarter than I." Copper gave a small chuckle.

"Anyways, we were too young to know we were supposed to be enemies. We were playmates for a long time. I'd sneak away from Amos almost every day to go play with Tod. But then hunting season came, and Amos took me and his old dog Chief away on a hunting trip. We were gone for several months. During that time, I learned how to hunt. We killed many animals during that trip—rabbit, badger, raccoon…and a few foxes."

"Didn't that bother you?" Harley asked.

Copper sighed. "Yes, at first, I was shocked that we were hunting foxes at first. But…they weren't like Tod. Tod was raised by human instead of in the harsh wilderness, and that made him gentle and kind. But these were nasty, cunning foxes, the kind that prey on farmers' chickens and mock you as they run away from you. They'll even lead dogs into traps sometimes. One of them led me across a frozen lake, knowing the thin ice would break under my weight. I almost drowned, and Amos had to pull me out."

"Well, anyways, after that, I willingly killed foxes on Amos's command. But I still remembered Tod, and the fun times we'd had together. The first night we got back home, he snuck over to visit me. But I knew our friendship couldn't last, since I was now a hunting dog, and I told him he had to leave. But then Chief woke up, and he barked and woke up Amos. He set us after Tod. Thanks to my sense of smell, I knew exactly where Tod was, and led Amos away from him. But Chief found him, and chased him down that old railroad bridge behind the hills. A train came, and…"Copper took a deep breath, as if remembering this part was painful for him. "Tod was small enough to duck under it, but Chief…he had to jump. He landed on the rocks below and was pretty badly injured. He was so old, I'm surprised he survived. But it was still horrible…Chief was like a father to me. Amos had to carry him back to the house, and we thought we were going to lose him. Then…I did something that I regret, to this day. I swore revenge on Tod."

Copper was quiet for a few moments, until Harley said, "And then?"

"I was shocked and hurt that my childhood friend would lead Chief into a trap like that, and I told myself the whole thing was my fault for trusting a fox. Later I learned that Tod hadn't meant to get Chief hurt, but I was blinded by rage and wanted nothing but revenge. Willow Tweed tried to protect Tod by taking him to live in a nature preserve, where hunting isn't allowed, but that didn't stop me and Amos. We snuck in and found Tod deep in the woods, with a female fox. We chased them both for a long while, until the noise we created disturbed a bear."

"A bear!" Harley gasped. He had never seen a bear, but had heard stories of them—massive, vicious creatures who could kill a dog with a single swipe of its paw.

"Yes, a bear. It went after Amos, and so naturally I fought to protect him. That thing beat me nearly to a pulp. I was on the ground, out of breath, and the bear was about to deliver a killing blow. But then…out of nowhere came Tod, who had been hiding with his mate. He attacked the bear and led it away from me, across a log that stretched over a waterfall. The log broke under the bear's weight, and they both went tumbling into the river below. I guess the bear drowned, but Tod was able to swim to the shore, thank goodness. He was too exhausted to move, so Amos decided to shoot him before he got away again, but I wouldn't let him. I stood over Tod, because he'd saved my life and I owed him one. Amos gave up, and we went our separate ways."

Harley stared at his father, too amazed by the story to know what to say. Finally he asked, "Did you ever see Tod again?"

Copper shook his head. "No, I didn't. I went back to being a hunting dog, and I guess he settled down with his mate. But I'll never forget him. I'm still grateful to him, for saving my life even though I tried to kill him. And since then…Amos changed. He used to get a special kind of pleasure from hunting foxes, but I guess he's grateful to Tod as well, because we haven't hunted a fox since that day. I…I didn't want to tell your mother. She takes pride in her hunting skills, and I don't know how she'd react if I told her I was once friends with a fox. But you understand, don't you, why I couldn't kill Tod?"

"Of course," said Harley. "If it hadn't been for him, you'd be dead, and I wouldn't have ever been born, right?"

Copper smiled. "No, you wouldn't have."

"But Dad…" Harley stared into his father's eyes. "What should I do if my new master wants me to hunt foxes? Do I do it, or…"

"Harley, son, foxes and hounds were never meant to be friends." Copper sighed heavily. "They are our prey, and if our masters tell us to hunt them, it's our duty to do so. It might have been better if Tod and I had never met, but I don't know. I just don't want to hunt another fox because I scared myself while hunting Tod. I was a raging killing machine, out for blood. That is not who I really am. I don't want to let that sort of darkness creep into my heart again."

Copper stepped closer, and murmured in his son's ear, "But Harley, I trust you to listen to your instincts. You've always had a good sense of justice. Hunt only out of loyalty, not out of anger or lust. You will, won't you?"

"Yes, Dad," said Harley solemnly.

At that moment, Amos and the other man made their way over to the dogs.

"Harley's a young, strong dog. He'll be good for ya, Travis," said Amos.

Travis, the man with the scraggly beard, knelt down and began examining Harley, looking him over and feeling him. He reeked of alcohol, and he had small, beady eyes that seemed to glare right into Harley's. He whimpered, not really liking this man.

"It's okay, son," Copper reassured him.

"Yes, yes he'll do," said Travis, standing back up. "I'll give ya forty bucks for this feller."

Belle came trotting back as the men exchanged money.

"Well…I guess he's decided to take me," Harley sighed. He nuzzled both his parents.

"Become a good hunter, my son," whispered Belle.

"Follow your instincts," said Copper.

Travis then looped an end of rope around Harley, tying it rather tightly, then gave a sharp jerk. Harley was startled, but followed him to the truck, where he was ordered to jump up into the kennel. Travis latched the door shut, then clambered into the front seat.

Amos waved to Harley. "Kill some varmints for me!" he called.

Copper and Belle gave barks of goodbye, and Harley let out a long bay as the truck started up and pulled away. He kept baying until his parents and Amos were out of sight. Suddenly, the truck swerved sharply, and he fell down on the floor of the kennel.

"Shut up, mutt!" Travis barked from the front. "You're my dog now, and you don't bark or howl unless I say so!"

Getting to his feet, Harley peered out of the wire door of the kennel, a feeling of unease overcoming him.

_I guess this is my new life now…I hope no matter what happens, I can be as good of a hunter as Mom and Dad, _he thought.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Daddy, I'm scared!"

Below the ground, two tiny fox kits were crouched in the rear chamber of a burrow, their fluffy fur spiked up and their eyes wide with terror. Their father was crouched beside them, panting with distress. From the main burrow, a thick, white mist was spreading. The fox coughed, wrapping his tail protectively around his two kits. The air felt acrid and unnatural, and his lungs burned.

"Daddy, I can't breathe!" one of the kits squeaked. They were both coughing now.

"It's okay guys, don't worry…" quickly, their father pushed them into the rear tunnel of the burrow, which served as sort of an emergency exit. "Go! Don't go back!" he called. The fox coughed again, a bit of blood dripping from his mouth onto the floor of the burrow.

_What is this stuff? _He knew the men outside the burrow were doing this—he and his mate had awoken to snuffling and whines of dogs. Hunting was supposed to be illegal where they lived, but these men either didn't know or care. The foxes hadn't had much time to react. One of them threw an object into the cave, and this weird mist had exploded from it. The foxes had panicked and ran around in confusion, unable to see through the thick mist. The father had managed to find two of his kits, and had taken them to the back.

"VIXEY!" the fox screamed for his mate while coughing up more blood. Everyone had been screaming a minute ago…now there was just silence. He perked his ears forward, hoping to hear any sound from his mate or four other kits.

_Damn it! I can't go find them…this fog will kill me…_the fox had no choice but to turn around, and head into the rear tunnel. It was very narrow, for it had been hastily dug. The fox and his mate had thought they wouldn't have to use it. The kits, as small as they were, had already gone through, but the father had to claw through the earth to make his way through. The gas hadn't spread into the tunnel yet, but he was still coughing and hacking, barely able to breathe as he struggled his way to the surface. Finally, daylight struck his eyes, and he pulled himself upward and collapsed in the grass.

"Daddy! Daddy, are you okay?" His kits were at his side, pushing at him with their paws.

"Daddy's dead!" the female wailed.

"No he's not! Dad, get up!" the male cried. "Come on!"

The fox forced himself to get to his paws, swaying as he coughed more blood into the grass.

"Daddy, look out!"

The fox turned to see a small terrier running at them, yapping with excitement. It lunged at the kits, spit flying from its jaws. In one swift movement, the fox put himself between the dog and his children, and swiped his claws across its eyes. The terrier screeched in pain, blood flying up from its face, while the father grabbed the kits in his jowls and ran, not stopping. Tears flew out of his eyes as he raced through the forest, knowing there was no use going back…his mate was dead, and so were his other kits. He'd failed his family…

"Dad, wake up!"

The fox jerked awake, leaping to his paws, his red fur bristling.

"Huh, what? What's going on!?" he cried.

"You were having another nightmare, Dad."

The fox shook his head, and blinked, seeing his now fully grown son standing in front of him.

"Oh…sorry, Cedar. I didn't mean to flip out on you like that," he apologized.

"Are you okay?" his son asked.

"Yes, I'm fine…as fine as I can be." The fox flopped back down, and let out a pained sigh. For the past few nights, he'd been reliving the hell he'd gone through several months ago. Back then, everything had been perfect. He'd found the love of his life, and together they had six kits, exactly the number she'd wanted. But men had come, and gassed their burrow. The fox had been able to save two of his kits, but his mate and their four other children did not survive. A few weeks after their escape, he'd gone back to see if he could find them, but the burrow was empty and their scents were gone. The men had taken their bodies away.

_Oh, my sweet Vixey…_the fox held back tears. _I'm so sorry. I wasn't able to save you. But I saved two of our kits…if only you could see them right now. They've grown so much. _

He could just hear her voice, warm and teasing.

_You're a wonderful father, Tod. I know our kits will always love you, and I will too. _

"Dad?" His son's voice brought him back to the present. "It's almost morning. Is it too early to go hunting?"

The fox, Tod, looked past his son and to the entrance of the burrow, where he could just see milky streaks of light beginning to appear in the indigo sky.

"I'd wait a while," Tod advised. "It'll be a while before all the animals wake up. Where's your sister?"

"She went to go get a drink from the stream." His son lay down and curled up next to his father so that their pelts were touching. "You've been having nightmares a lot lately. They're about that day, aren't they?"

Tod gave a tiny nod. He stared ahead.

"It wasn't your fault, Dad. I mean, I only remember bits of it, but you did all you could. You saved Clover and I."

Tod looked at his son and gave him a sad smile.

"I know, Cedar. You two are the reason I keep going. But I wish you had more happy memories of your mother."

Cedar was almost a year old now. He'd grown into a handsome fox, appearing almost identical to Tod, except his coat was slightly darker. His personality was more like his mother's—optimistic and comforting.

Cedar touched his nose to his fathers'. "Don't worry, Dad. I know Mom is watching over us."

"Dad, Cedar! Look what I caught!" Tod and Cedar were interrupted by a third voice. They turned to the entrance of the cave, where Tod's daughter, Clover was standing. In her jaws was a large silver trout.

"Whoa! Great catch!" Cedar exclaimed.

"That will feed all three of us," said Tod, smiling proudly. Clover had her mother's light build and perky face. Sometimes Tod felt as if he was staring right at Vixey when he looked at her.

"Someday, I'm going to catch the biggest fish we've ever seen!" Cedar vowed.

Clover flicked her brother with her tail. "Says the fox who yelped when a minnow nibbled him," she teased.

"Hey, I was just startled, that's all!" Cedar protested.

"Are you okay, Dad?" Clover turned her attention to Tod. "You don't look so good."

"He had another nightmare," said Cedar.

"Again?" Clover touched her nose to Tod's ear. "Dad, what's been troubling you?"

"It's alright, Clover." Tod brushed his muzzle against his daughter's. "It's just a few bad memories of mine coming back, but I'll be alright."

Tod had never forgiven himself for not being able to save Vixey and his other kits, but he had always taken pride in the fact that he'd been able to raise Cedar and Clover on his own. Though these days, it seemed like his kits had been taking care of _him._ They both had their mother's protectiveness in them.

_Heh. Where would I be without them? _Tod thought sheepishly. Unlike his children, he hadn't grown up in the wilderness. His mother had been shot by a hunter when he was a tiny kit, and an old widow had found him raised him. When he was a year old, she'd had to give him up due to certain circumstances, and had taken him to the game preserve where he lived now. He'd had no idea how to survive on his own, but thankfully he had run into Vixey, who took a liking to him and taught him how to hunt for food and dig burrows. Tod still wasn't the greatest at doing these things, but his children had inherited their mother's talents.

The foxes ate the trout Clover had caught, and then slept until the sun was all the way up. Cedar then said he wanted to try fishing, so all three of them went down to the stream near their den.

"Alright, be still as you can," Clover instructed her brother, who positioned himself on a rock, holding a paw ready above the water. "Try not to cast a shadow, so the fish won't know you're there. Then, as quickly as you can, scoop it out."

Cedar stood perfectly still, staring intently at the water's surface. After a few silent moments, a small fish glided by, its silvery scales glinting in the sunlight.

_SPLASH! _Tod and Clover jumped back to avoid the spray of water that flew up as Cedar plunged his paw into the stream. He did it rather forcefully, knocking his balance off, sending him sliding down the rock into the water.

Clover threw back her head laughing, while Tod grinned and shook his head. Cedar scowled at them, water dripping from his soaked fur.

"I haven't had much practice, okay?" he defended himself.

Suddenly, Clover stopped laughing and flicked her ears. Something had caught her attention. Cedar and Tod followed her gaze towards a tall oak tree.

"What is it, Clover?" Cedar asked, climbing out of the stream and shaking the water out of his fur.

"There's something up there, looking at us," whispered Clover.

Tod squinted in the sunlight, and was able to make out a brown figure perched up in the branches. At first, he wasn't sure what it was, until he noticed its huge round eyes.

"Tod?" the thing spoke. "Tod, is that you?"

Tod froze. He'd know that voice anywhere. Warm, gentle, with a slight southern accent…

"Big…Big Mama?" Tod cried.

"Dad, who is that?" Cedar asked.

The thing jumped from the branches, spreading giant wings and gliding towards the ground. It was a great owl, with brown speckled feathers and bright yellow eyes.

"Oh, Tod! Thank goodness I've found you!" The owl wrapped her wings around Tod's neck in a hug.

"Big Mama…I haven't seen you in so long…" A lump formed in Tod's throat. "Where have you been?"

Big Mama pulled away and stared up at Tod. "I'm so sorry, honey," she said."There's been crazy things happening all over the forest…so many animals have needed my help…I've been searching for you for a long time. Your old burrow was abandoned, and I was afraid something bad had happened to you…"

"Something bad did happen, Big Mama," said Tod quietly. He looked down at the ground. "Men came to the burrow. They filled it with some sort of deadly mist…I escaped with two of my kits, but Vixey and the others...they didn't make it."

"Oh God, Tod…" Big Mama gasped, her eyes wide with horror. She rested her wing on Tod's shoulder. "I'm so, so sorry. I should have been there for you…"

"It wasn't your fault," Tod murmured. "You couldn't have done anything to stop them."

"Dad, who is this?" Clover asked.

"Oh…I should introduce you," said Tod, noticing the very confused looks on Cedar and Clover's faces. "Cedar, Clover, this is Big Mama. You met her once, when you were very young, so I'm not surprised you don't remember her. She's an old friend of mine."

"So these are your kits," said Big Mama, looking up at Cedar and Clover and smiling warmly. "My, my, you two have grown so much since I last saw you."

Tod had known Big Mama since he was very small. She was a guardian to the animals of these woods and surrounding farms. She'd witnessed Tod's mother being shot, and had led the old widow to him. She'd always stayed near the farm where he lived, watching him as he grew up and giving him motherly advice. When Tod had been taken to the nature preserve, Big Mama found him and introduced him to Vixey. The last time Tod had seen her was when his kits had been born, and she'd come to see the new family. Since hunters seemed to be becoming active in this area, he was worried something bad had happened to Big Mama. But he'd been too occupied to look for her, while moving deeper into the preserve to hide from hunters while raising his kits on his own.

"Tod, I came to warn you about something," Big Mama's voice suddenly grew ominous. "There have been men all over the area these past months. I thought this place didn't allow hunting, but the rules seem to have changed. I've seen them cutting down the trees, too. It almost seems like they're trying to clear this place out."

Tod's fur rose along his spine.

"They've been setting traps for animals, too. Yesterday I saw something horrible." Big Mama shut her eyes, and sighed. "I saw a fox caught in a trap. I was about to go over to help him, but then a bunch of men came with guns and dogs, and…I couldn't do anything. They shot him." She was silent for a moment, then said, "Do you know what a fox trap looks like?"

Tod nodded, a dark memory suddenly coming back to him, of glinting metal teeth sticking up through the leaves of the forest floor, jumping to avoid them as they snapped shut, the firing of a hunter's rifle, and the angry baying of a hound…

"Tod?" The fox shook his head and looked at Big Mama. "Yes, I've seen them. I'll look out for them. Thank you."

"Dad?" Clover's eyes were wide with fear. "What are we going to do?"

"Big Mama, do you know of anywhere we can go?" Tod asked her.

Big Mama sighed. "I don't know," she admitted. "Honestly I haven't ever been beyond these woods, but I've heard of another woods east of here, near the mountains. From what I've been told, humans tend to avoid them, because there are a lot of bears living there."

"Bears?" Cedar cocked his head. "Dad, didn't you fight one of those once?"

Tod shuddered. Another frightening memory came to his mind, of a massive black animal, with a horrible stench, long claws, and a deafening roar.

"Cedar…let's not talk about that right now," said Tod. He turned back to Big Mama. "Thank you for warning us. For now, we'll keep a low profile, and if the hunters come into our territory, we will head for the east."

"Honey, if I were you, I'd leave as soon as you can," said Big Mama solemnly, her wide yellow eyes filled with anxiety for her friend. "From the way things are going, it won't be long before you run into men."

Tod sighed. _Those damn hunters…_he thought. _They've already driven us out of our home, and now they're going to do it again? Why are humans so bent on killing us and the other forest animals?_

He looked to Cedar and Clover. "What do you two think?" he asked, feeling they were old enough to help him make this decision.

"I think Big Mama's right," said Cedar, sitting down and tucking his tail around his paws nervously. "We need to get out of here."

Clover nodded, her eyes wide with fear. "I don't remember much about the hunters that killed Mom and the others, except the dog that tried to attack me and Cedar. I don't want to go through that again." She shuddered.

"We'll leave early tomorrow morning," Tod decided. "That way we can travel a good distance before it gets dark. Our den is well hidden among some brambles, so we can probably risk one more night here."

"Alright," said Big Mama. "Meet me at this tree at dawn. I don't know exactly where the other forest is, but I can lead you in the general direction."

"Thank you so much, Big Mama." Tod affectionately nudged his old friend.

"Be careful, Tod," said Big Mama softly. She turned to Cedar and Clover. "You two as well." Then, she flapped her wings and soared away.

Tod watched her as she disappeared into the tops of the trees and then looked up to the sky. It was a bright, beautiful day, with fluffy white clouds hanging overhead. Nothing seemed ominous at all, but Tod's gut was twisting with anxiety. He sank his claws into the ground.

_Vixey, please…watch over us…_he prayed silently.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

As the truck came to a halt, Harley could hear the loud, harsh baying of other dogs, excited by their master's return. He heard Travis slam the door shut and then bellow, "Shut up, you mutts!" He came around and opened the cage door, then yanked on the rope around Harley's neck. The hound mix obediently jumped out of the flatbed onto the dusty ground, and Travis led him around to the back of his house. His home was nothing but a tiny wooden shack, covered in peeling white paint. The tin roof was bent inwards, and rusty nails stuck out everywhere.

Travis was leading Harley to the gate of a chain link fence that surrounded the back of the house. The thunderous barking and howling grew louder, and Harley tucked his tail between his legs.

"Come on, dog!" Travis jerked Harley's rope, unlatched the gate, and led him into the yard. It was a small area, about ten feet by five, choked with weeds. A wire kennel stood against the fence, and four dogs were chained to the back wall of the house. They howled and lunged at the ends of the chains, welcoming their master back.

"SHUT UP!" Travis screamed over the noise. He stepped forward and loomed over the dogs threateningly, and they fell silent. The biggest one, a massive black and brown dog, whined softly and wagged his tail.

"Hey, Bugler." Travis reached out and scratched his ears. "How's my boy today?"

Bugler, obviously Travis's favorite, licked his master's hand.

"Alright, we've got someone joinin' us today, who will take Bones's place." Travis announced to his dogs. "This here's Harley. I know he's kind of sorry-looking, but he's the cheapest dog I could get around here. Bugler, I'll be expectin' you to show him who's boss!" He led Harley to a fifth chain hanging from the wall of the house, which he clipped to Harley's collar. Then, he stood up and disappeared inside through the back door.

Harley craned his neck to observe the other dogs. The one right next to him was a muscular Plott hound with a dark brindled coat. Then there was Bugler, who was even more muscular, and had a wrinkled face and huge jowls. To his right was a slim tan and white foxhound, and at the very opposite end of the wall was another tan and white dog, only much smaller. He had a skinny body and folded back, whippet-like ears. He hunkered down in the grass, seeming nervous.

"Hey! You!" came a bellowing, rough voice, with a thick country accent. Harley looked back to Bugler, who was glowering right at him.

"Hey new dog! My name's Bugler, and I'm the lead dog of this pack! You better do what the master and I say, or you're in for it!"

The Plott hound and the foxhound burst into harsh laughter.

"You don't look very promising!" Bugler called to Harley. "Tell me, can you hunt at all!?"

Harley felt a growl rising in his throat, but contained himself. Bugler did not look like someone to mess with.

"I…I caught a badger once," he replied.

"That's _it?_" Bugler's eyes glittered with amusement, and he and his friends roared with laughter. "You've got a lot to learn, mutt! And trust me, I _will_ make sure you become worthy to this pack, even if I have to beat it into you! Are we clear?"

"Y…yes sir, we're clear," said Harley.

"Good. Now let me introduce you to the rest of the gang." Bugler pointed his nose at the Plott hound. "This here's Hustler." He turned to the foxhound. "This is Jet, and that little wimp over there is Thistle."

Thistle looked at the ground as the others continued to laugh. Harley slumped down in the grass, suddenly wanting to go home.

The back door then swung open, and Travis came out carrying a bag of dog food. Harley noticed that he and the other dogs had a metal bowl within reach of them. Travis walked along the line of dogs, tossing a handful of kernels into each bowl. The others began to wolf the food down while Harley cautiously sniffed it. It smelled greasy and stale.

"Stop that whinin'!" Harley turned to see Travis glaring at Thistle. "You don't get any food cuz you didn't catch that rabbit I set you after yesterday. If you want to eat, work harder!"

Thistle miserably lay down with his chin on his paws as Travis went back inside.

"Don't you be feeling sorry for him," Bugler growled at Harley. "Here, you have to earn your food. Ain't that right, small fry?"

Harley assumed Bugler was talking to Thistle, but the little dog didn't reply. Jet, the foxhound, cuffed the side of his head with a paw. "Answer him!" he barked. Thistle yelped. "Y—yes sir," he stammered.

Harley turned back to his food and reluctantly ate. He felt guilty for eating when Thistle had no food, and the food had the consistency and flavor of sawdust, but it seemed he'd have to keep his strength up in a place like this. Dusk had approached, and the sky was a blazing red with streaks of gold. Bugler licked crumbs of dog food off his jowls.

"Blood red sky tonight…I'd say that's a sign we're gonna have some good kills tomorrow." He grinned, baring huge yellow fangs.

"We're going hunting tomorrow?" Harley asked as politely as he could.

"That's right, mutt," Bugler growled "We're gettin' up bright and early to go kill us some varmints. Then you'll see that we're the best damn hunting pack around. We brought down a bear once. Try not to piss yourself if you see one!" He, Hustler, and Jet all burst out laughing again.

Harley lay down and curled up into a miserable ball. How could Amos have sold him to a man like Travis? He thought the master had liked him.

_Mom, Dad…I miss you. _Images of Copper and Belle's smiling, proud faces came into mind, and he ached to be with them.

_You two wouldn't put up with being treated like this, would you? But I'm not like you…these dogs will beat me to a pulp if I try to stand up for myself. _

Sighing, he closed his eyes and entered a shallow, disturbed sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Wake up!" Harley woke to the smell of horrible breath and a large paw smacking him in the face. He looked up and saw Bugler glaring down at him.

"It's time to get going, mutt. Move your ass—the master don't like to be kept waiting."

Harley turned his head to see Travis kneeling down by Hustler and undoing his chain. He then reached over and undid Hustler's. Harley obediently followed everyone into the front yard, where he saw that a large metal contraption had been attached to the back of Travis's truck. It was a huge dog kennel on wheels. As Harley approached it, he saw that the inside was divided up into several compartments.

"Alright! Get in!" Travis barked. Each dog jumped into a compartment, and Harley followed suit. Travis went around shutting the doors to each one, and when he shut Harley's, his heart began to pound. The compartment was very narrow, with only space to lie down, and pitch black, save for weak morning light coming through a few slats on the side.

"Don't panic," came a soft voice from the next compartment over. "We won't have to stay in here for long. I was scared the first time too, but it isn't so bad."

"Which one are you?" Harley murmured.

"Thistle," the voice replied. "Listen, um…try not to disappoint Bugler, or the master…if you do they'll starve you and beat you…you're a replacement for Travis's old coonhound, Bones. Travis hit the poor fragile thing too hard and accidentally killed him…"

"Are you serious?" Harley whispered, his fur rising along his spine.

"Yes. You know that dog kennel in the yard? You don't want to know what it's used for. Just try not to get put in it…" Thistle's voice shook, as if remembering a frightening memory.

Harley nodded, though Thistle couldn't see him. He asked a few more question, to try and make conversation and calm himself down.

"What breed are you?" he asked.

"I'm a whippet/beagle mix," Thistle replied shyly. "Um…you?"

"I'm a mix too," said Harley. "My mom was a black and tan coonhound and my dad was a bloodhound mix...mixed with what I don't know." He chuckled slightly.

"Bugler's also a mix…he's half bloodhound and half Rottweiler. He's very good at tracking…and killing." Thistle gulped.

"I can imagine," said Harley quietly.

The drive lasted about forty-five minutes. The truck bounced along the dirt roads, shaking the kennel and causing Harley to hit his head on the roof a few times. He pressed his nose to the slats leading to the outside, breathing in scents of pine and morning dew. Now and then, he could detect traces of rabbit and squirrel. Though very nervous, Harley couldn't help but wonder what sort of prey Travis would have them hunt.

Finally, the truck stopped. The excited barks of Bugler, Hustler, and Jet shook the walls of the kennel as Travis went around and let each dog out. Harley blinked in the sudden sunlight as his door was opened.

"Come on, mutt, get out!" Travis pulled on Harley's collar, making him jump out. The hound mix stumbled around, feeling dizzy from the ride. He shook his head and then surveyed his surroundings. They were in the middle of a field, right at the edge of a forest. The trees were close together, and further in it seemed quite dark. It was probably pretty easy to get lost in there…

"Don't you even _think_ of runnin' off while we're huntin'." Harley jumped as he felt hot breath in his ear, and turned to see Bugler growling in his face.

"I know you don't wanna be a part of this pack, coward. If you run off, I _will_ bring you back and beat the living shit out of you. Got it?"

Harley winced at the pack leader's crude language, but nodded. "I got it, sir."

"Good." He gave Harley once last glare, and then turned around to face Travis, who was getting something out of the truck.

"Alright dogs, have a good sniff at this!" he held out a silvery pelt, with a striped tail dangling from it.

"We're huntin' coons today! Their pelts sell real good this time of year!"

The dogs gathered around and thoroughly sniffed the pelt. Harley had been on enough hunts to know that raccoons were sneaky creatures, which climbed trees to escape dogs and picked good hiding places. But if a hound could track it down, a human could sometimes bring it down with a rifle.

"Alright! Move out!" Travis barked. The dogs ran straight into the woods, with Bugler at the lead, Hustler and Jet at his flanks, and Thistle and Harley at the back. Travis jogged after them, rifle in hand.

"Start sniffin', boys!" Bugler ordered. The dogs put their noses to the ground, their noses pumping as they worked to pick up the scent of raccoon. About ten minutes later, they came to a clearing, where the morning sun shone down and the grass sparkled with dew. Bugler suddenly lifted his head and let out a deafening bay, then veered onto a path leading deeper into the forest. As they ran, Harley could suddenly smell the reek of raccoon in the air, and howled as well. Suddenly, a flash of silver darted in front of the pack, zigzagging along the path and then darting up a tree. Bugler leapt up, his jaws snapping just an inch from the ringed tail of a raccoon, which scurried up to the topmost branches and peered down, its little masked face petrified in terror as the dogs barked and put their front paws on the tree trunk.

"Whoa! Back off, back off!" Travis waved his gun around, shooing the dogs away.

"That coon ain't big enough! It won't make a decent pelt! Let's move on, boys!"

They went on through the forest, scenting the ground and the air. The sun continued to rise, and soon the summer heat was beating down on the dogs. Harley panted, hoping they'd come across a stream or a pond to drink from. Then, Jet raised his head and bayed, having picked up the scent of another raccoon. The dogs ran forward, barking and whining. Even Harley felt himself caught up in the excitement. It wasn't long before not one, but two huge raccoons came into sight, running for their lives. Hustler's teeth snapped inches from one of their tails, but they darted to the side and then scrambled up an oak tree. One of them disappeared into a knothole halfway up the tree, while the other one clung to the bark and spun around, snarling down at the dogs. Bugler let out a loud, ugly laugh. "Aww, ain't that cute, it's trying to defend itself!"

"Get back!" Travis whistled sharply.

"That means get back!" Bugler barked at Harley. The pack stepped away about five feet away from the tree, while Travis cocked his rifle. The raccoon, seeming to realize what was happening, turned to climb further up the tree, but didn't react fast enough.

_BANG! _The sound of the rifle split the air and echoed far off into the distance, and then everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Bright red blood exploded from the raccoon's back, but it still hung on the tree with its claws. Then, slowly, it slid down the tree an inch, and then lost its grip completely and fell heavily to the ground.

"Outta the way, outta the way!" Travis shooed his dogs as they gathered around to sniff the raccoon's corpse. Travis picked it up by the tail and strapped it to his belt, then cocked his gun again, aiming at the knothole where the other raccoon had disappeared.

"Did you see, Bugler? I scented them!" Jet jumped up and down excitedly, barking at the knothole.

"Shut up!" Bugler snapped. "We gotta be quiet, so the other one will think we've left."

They stood around the tree in silence for about five minutes, stepping backwards into the shadows of the trees. The dogs' muscles quivering with anticipation as they waited. Thistle let out a thin whine, which earned him a hard shove from Hustler.

Then, finally, the other raccoon poked its snout out from the knothole. It slowly peeked up from the edge, peering down to see if it was safe. It crept out along the bark, looking left and right.

_BANG! _The second raccoon fell to the ground, and Travis went to collect the body.

"Great work, boys!" he praised his dogs. Then, all of a sudden, a small, squeaky cry came from the knothole. Travis looked up to it, then suddenly, a smirk crossed his face. He set his rifle down, then rummaged through a small sack tied to his belt and produced two gloves, which he put on. He then began to climb the tree, grabbing the lower branches and hoisting himself up until he reached the knothole.

"Oh no…" Harley heard Thistle murmur under his breath.

"What's happening?" he hissed.

Before Thistle could reply, Travis pulled something out from the knothole. A tiny bundle was clasped in his gloved hand, squirming and crying in terror.

"Oh god." Harley breathed. "They had babies. Travis wouldn't…"

"He would," Thistle whispered, trembling with his tail tucked between his legs.

"Hey guys! I have something for you all to snack on!" Travis sang out. He flung the baby raccoon to the ground. It squealed in terror as it hit a tree root and bounced off. Travis reached further into the hole and pulled out three more babies, and flung them to the ground as well.

Bugler, Hustler, and Jet flew to the tree, yipping and barking hysterically as they surrounded the babies. There came terrified squeals, and then horrible ripping noises, and then blood sprayed into the air.

"NO!" Harley yelled. It was like a feeding frenzy. The dogs snarled as they tore the small bodies, shaking their heads from side to side.

"STOP IT!" Tears stung Harley's eyes as he leaped forward, trying to shove his way through the crowd. Hustler kicked him backwards, and then furiously turned around, a tiny silver raccoon dangling from his jaws, its pelt torn to bloody shreds. Its little mouth hung open, indicating it had spent its last few moments screaming.

Harley couldn't take it anymore. He was a hound, yes, and he liked to hunt, but this…this he couldn't stand. As trigger-happy as Amos had been, he had never, _ever_ hunted baby animals…the hound mix fled into the trees, panting with terror. He leapt over a fallen long and kept running straight ahead, not looking back.

_BANG!_ A bullet exploded on the ground just a foot from Harley. He skidded to a halt, and whirled around, to see Travis standing a few yards away with his gun, and Bugler snarling and charging right at Harley like a mad bull. Harley screeched as the bigger dog knocked him to the ground and clamped his gigantic jaws around his throat.

"What did I say about runnin' away?" he growled menacingly through closed jaws. His fangs clamped down so tightly on Harley that the smaller dog couldn't breathe. He scrambled his paws in the dirt and gasped for air.

"Good boy, Bugler." Travis had caught up to them. "Now let me have at him." Bugler let go of Harley, who Travis grabbed by the collar, and then slammed the toe of his boot right in the center of his spine. Harley shrieked in pain as the man kicked him several times, and then threw him down on the ground.

"Don't you dare try runnin' away again, mutt!" Travis hissed. He grabbed Harley's collar again and hoisted him to his feet. "Alright boys, time to head home!"

Harley followed his master and the other dogs through the woods back to the truck, staring at the ground as he walked. He couldn't bear to look at the others after seeing what they'd done to the baby raccoons…he could still hear the helpless shrieks and see blood flying everywhere. Bugler, Hustler, and Jet were actually _laughing_ about it, bragging about how they'd torn the helpless little creatures to shreds.

_You aren't hunting dogs! _Harley wanted to scream at them. _You're monsters!_ But after being punished by Bugler and Travis, he didn't want to risk angering the pack. Travis whistled happily, the two adult raccoons swinging from his belt. Besides Harley, the only quiet one was Thistle, who was also looking at the ground. He shot the hound mix a quick sympathetic glance.

The words that his father had said to him before he'd left home suddenly echoed in Harley's head:

_Hunt only out of loyalty, and not out of anger or lust. _

That was what these dogs were doing—hunting just for the fun of torturing animals. Harley knew it was wrong, but it seemed he would have to do it to avoid being beaten by Travis or mauled by Bugler.

_Oh Dad…what do I do?_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Did you hear that?" Cedar whispered. It was very early in the morning—the sun had just began to creep up over the horizon, and the sky was still dark with only a few bits of light visible through the trees. Cedar, Clover, and Tod had been traveling for less than an hour and already they'd heard the faint boom of a gun in the distance.

Tod and Clover had also frozen at the noise, but Tod didn't seem too worried. "It was pretty far off," he said. "Let's keep going."

Above them, Big Mama soared low in the sky, stopping every now and then to catch her breath.

"You alright, Big Mama?" Tod called up to her as she rested on a tree branch.

"I'm fine honey…I just ain't as young as I used to be," the owl replied. Her heavy breathing and pale feathers did indicate that she was fairly old.

Cedar sniffed at the cool morning air. The forest was still and quiet today and the trees cast long, ominous shadows everywhere. Anxiety clawed at the young fox—he could definitely sense danger around them.

"It's okay, son," Tod reassured him. "We just need to keep moving."

The three foxes and the owl made their way further to the east, only stopping a few times for Big Mama, or to take a drink from a puddle or stream they passed. By the time the sun was halfway up in the sky, the trees had begun to thin out. Big Mama swooped down and landed in front of the foxes.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave you now," she sighed. "I haven't flown this far in a long time and I don't think my old bones can take any more of it. We're at the edge of the forest. Not too far from here there's a few roads, then some farms, and then further on is the other forest. Just keep going east, and you should find it."

"Thank you for everything, Big Mama," said Tod, his voice tinged with sadness. Since they were going far away, it was likely that he wouldn't be seeing his old friend again.

Big Mama cupped Tod's face in the tips of her wings. "I'm so proud of you," she said, her voice choked. "You've come a long way from being the scared little kit I found by Willow Tweed's fence. And you've raised two beautiful children."

"Take care of the other animals, Big Mama," said Tod softly. "And…if you see Willow, or um…Copper…then make sure they're doing okay too."

"I will, honey," Big Mama promised. She turned to Cedar and Clover. "Good luck, and take care of your father," she said, and then flapped her wings, taking off into air and disappearing behind the tree line. Tod stood there for a few moments, looking in the direction she'd gone, and then led his kits the other way.

"Dad, were you really friends with a hound once?" Clover asked Tod.

"Yes, I have told you the story several times," Tod said impatiently. He had indeed, told his kits several times about how he'd been raised by a human and had befriended a hound puppy named Copper while living in captivity. As frightened as they were of hounds, the story of how Tod had saved his childhood friend from a bear was one of their favorites that their father would tell them before bed.

"But Copper was one in several hounds," said Tod darkly. "I can guarantee you any that we run into will not be friendly."

They kept on running, and then distant rumbling noise came to Cedar's ears, accompanied by faint gurgles.

"Dad, do you hear that?" he asked Tod.

Tod nodded. "There's a river up ahead," he said. "We can cross it—it's filled with rocks and fallen tree logs."

Just then, Cedar heard another sound, one that made his heart stop and the blood freeze in his veins. It was the low, thunderous baying of a hound, not too far away.

Tod swore. "Head for the river!" he yelled at his kits. The three foxes practically flew across the ground as they ran, panting with fright as they heard another howl, this time much closer. A few moments later, there came the sound of paws drumming across the ground.

"Keep running!" Tod yelled. "I'll hold them off!" Tod skidded to a halt and whirled around, just as a large black-and-white Pointer came barreling towards him. Cedar and Clover looked over their shoulders in horror, seeing the dog about to close its huge jaws on Tod, but their father nimbly darted to the side and jumped on the dog's back, sharply biting its ear. The hound shrieked, and Tod jumped back down the ground and then raked sharp claws across its nose. While the dog was howling and shaking its head, Tod fled. By the time he'd caught up with his kits, there came the sound of even more hounds behind them. Cedar's blood pounded in his ears, as well as his heart, mingling with the deafening howls and barks of several dogs. He glanced around briefly, and ran even faster as he saw six of them just feet away from their tails, led by a tricolor hound, its eyes glistening with an obvious thirst for blood.

The river was growing louder as well—perhaps they'd be able to lose the hounds if they crossed it. The foxes veered towards a steep, rocky slope, hoping that would discourage the dogs. But the pack was determined, and came bounding up behind them, still howling. The foxes leapt over the edge, racing down the opposite side of the slope, which had a small ditch at the bottom. Beyond that, Cedar could see the river, roaring and foaming white.

_We're almost there…gotta keep running…_suddenly, Cedar's paw caught on a rock, and he went tumbling rapidly down the slope. The earth and sky were a blur as he rolled out of control all the way to the bottom, where he landed clumsily in the ditch. As he shook his head to gain his bearings, a massive tan body leapt into the ditch with him, and he found himself staring into the eyes of a snarling Blackmouth Cur. Adrenaline burst through Cedar, and he launched himself at the dog's face, clamping his teeth down on the top of its muzzle. The hound howled in pain and threw its head around, flinging Cedar out of the ditch. The fox jumped to his feet and continued to race down the slope, spotting Tod and Clover running several yards ahead of him. They slowed down as they looked around and saw him, but this unfortunately allowed the hounds to catch up. Two of them ran at Clover, and she veered away from Tod, running to the left, while the pack leader led the others to the right and went after Tod. One of the dogs at the rear turned around and headed for Cedar.

Cedar stood there frozen in fear, not knowing what to do. The dog running at him was a beagle, and much smaller than the others, but was still twice the size of a fox.

_Come on, move! _Cedar ordered himself. Acting on instinct, and only half aware of what he was doing, Cedar ran at the beagle, and then folded his legs underneath him, sliding right under the dog's legs. Its balance thrown off, the dog yelped and fell over on its side. Cedar ran for the river, heading in the direction Clover went in. There was a chance he could help her, there were only two dogs on her trail…

He swerved around a wide oak tree and ran down the riverbank, the water now roaring fully in his ears.

_Clover…oh Clover, where are you…_

Cedar nearly had a heart attack when he finally saw his sister. Clover was crouched on a thin tree that had fallen over the river, with the two dogs standing on the shore and barking at her. One of them had its front paws on the tree trunk, and was climbing up on the end.

"HOLD ON, CLOVER!" Cedar yelled above the river. "I'M COMING…"

Clover didn't appear to hear him. She turned around and began to run across the tree trunk, just as the dog scrambled up and charged after her. Then, all of a sudden, the thin trunk snapped under its weight, and the dog tumbled into the water below, yelping. The tree turned sharply inward, so that the ends were no longer resting on the shore, and it began to float vertically down the river.

"CLOVER!" The hounds had lost interest in her, for the one on the land was trying to help his friend out of the water. Clover hunkered down on the floating log, her mouth open in a silent cry of terror, when suddenly the log crashed into a large rock and sent her flying. Clover dropped like a stone below the rapids.

"NO!" Cedar ran along the river's edge, crying for his sister. "CLOVER, CLOVER!"

He saw a red head bob up over the water, but then the current pulled it back under. He continued to race along the river's edge, helpless to do anything but not giving up…

He heard furious growling, and saw the two hounds that were after Clover running at him, water dripping from their soaked coats. As they caught up with Cedar, he had no choice but to veer away from the river and run back the way he'd come. He zigzagged around trees and boulders, trying to confuse the hounds as best as he could. Eventually he came to a hole in the ground which smelled like an old badger burrow, and jumped down in it, hoping it would disguise his scent. To his horror, there was already something in there.

Fur brushed up against his side, and sharp teeth bit at his leg. Cedar screeched and scrambled for the entrance to the burrow, when suddenly the other animal spoke. "Cedar? Oh…it's just you!"

Cedar turned around and found himself face-to-face with Tod. "Dad! You're okay!" he whispered happily.

"Where's your sister?" Tod flattened his ears in fear.

"She…" Cedar felt a painful lump in his throat. "She…fell in the river…I tried to help her, but…the dogs chased me…"

Right as he said the word dogs, they heard barking nearby, as if on cue. The two foxes stared into each other's eyes.

"Son…I'll hold them off," said Tod. "You…get to the river as fast as you can, and find somewhere you can cross. Find your sister, and…we'll meet up on the opposite bank."

"Dad…no…" Cedar pressed up against his father. "You know that won't work. The dogs will shred you…"

"Son, do as I say." Tod's voice was sharp, and he shoved his son towards the entrance. "They'll be here soon. Get going!"

"But Dad…"

"Son, trust me. I know what I'm doing." Tod gave his son a small smile. "I'll find you, don't worry."

Cedar hesitated, but as the barking grew louder, he knew he couldn't stay there. Giving his father one last glance, he jumped out of the burrow and went running back towards the river. Suddenly, he spotted an old, bent tree, so bent its leaves almost touched the ground and it looked easily climbable. Cedar darted up the trunk, nearly slipping on the rotting wood, and hid among the leaves, peering out to see if he could spot Tod. He saw the pack of dogs, running towards the spot where he and his father had been hiding. Coming up behind them was a man, yelling and waving a rifle. Cedar flattened himself to the tree branches, holding his breath. Suddenly, a flash of red went past the dogs, and they howled with excitement. Tod was running in the direction opposite Cedar, obviously trying to lead the hounds away from him. But then, something leapt out of a clump of bushes and sent Tod fleeing the other way. Cedar realized with horror that it was the tricolored hound who led the pack. Tod swerved around a large boulder and then leapt over an old fallen log, his light body soaring effortlessly through the air, and then…

_BANG! _The report of a shotgun seemed to shake the whole forest. Tod seemed to freeze in midair for a second, and then fell to a heap in the ground.

"NO!" Cedar found himself screaming. The pack leader then leaped over the log, just as Tod struggled to his feet, but the dog grabbed the fox's throat in his jaws and shook. Cedar was just about to jump out of the tree when the other dogs came and surrounded the scene, barking and cheering on their leader, blocking Tod from Cedar's sight.

"No…no…" Cedar choked. His face was already wet with tears. "No…Dad…"

After a few moments, the dogs grew quiet, and the man lumbered over to them, pushing them out of the way, and held up a limp, blood-soaked body.

The young fox jumped out of the tree and ran, not looking where he was going, blindly running into trees and bushes. But the dogs were distracted for now, and Tod would have wanted him to keep running. He sobbed as he ran, wanting to just give up and let the hounds have him, but his father had wanted him to escape. Somehow, he managed to reach an area of the river that was shallow, and leap over a set of stones. He kept running and running, not slowing down, even though he could no longer hear the hounds. Eventually, he tripped over a tree root and fell hard on the ground, rolling into a clump of flowers. He laid there and cried until he felt his heart would break, and then cried more.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Harley lay miserably in the portable kennel. It had been a week since Travis had bought him, and he was looking quite ill. His ribs had begun to show, his coat was dull and matted, and a few fresh scars were showing along his flanks. Travis had turned out to be incredibly trigger-happy, even more so than Amos, and this was the third hunt of the week. Harley hadn't had anything to eat in days, as punishment for trying to run away and not being able to catch any prey. Travis had beaten him with a stick during the last hunt, when he'd barked too soon and made their presence known to a deer they'd been sneaking up on.

The kennel rattled and bounced across the rough back roads, but Harley just lay there, not caring. He just wanted this hunt to be over as quickly as possible.

"Hey mutt!" Bugler's voice thundered through the metal walls separating the dogs. "If you screw this hunt up, you're gonna totally get it from me!"

The truck slowed to a halt, and Travis came around and let the dogs out. He ordered them to go on ahead and start tracking, except for Harley. He tied a short rope around his neck and said, "I'm keeping an eye on you, so you won't screw up." He then jerked it and made Harley follow him into the woods. The hound mix walked obediently at Travis's heals, half-heartedly sniffing the forest floor. It wasn't long before Bugler caught wind of something, and Travis went running after the pack, pulling Harley with him. By the time they'd caught up with the other dogs, Bugler had cornered a large badger. Its fangs were bared in a ferocious snarl, and its black-and-white fur was spiked up.

"Get 'em, boys!" Travis cheered his dogs on. Bugler went in for a killing bite, but the badger nimbly leaped around him, running right into Thistle and knocking the little dog over. It went running back towards Travis, who let go of Harley's rope and barked at him to kill him. Not wanting to face anymore punishment, Harley leapt on the badger, yelping as the creature sank its teeth into his paw. They wrestled around on the ground for a moment, and then Harley grabbed the badger's neck and delivered the killing bite.

"Well what do you know? The useless mutt actually _did_ something!" Bugler's beady eyes glittered mockingly at Harley. Then, he marched over to Thistle, who cowered down on the ground.

"You let a stupid little _badger_ beat you up! How pathetic!" Bugler spat. Then, to Harley's horror, he grabbed the smaller dog by the neck and flung him against a tree. Thistle cried out in pain. Bugler grabbed him by the neck again and began slamming him against the ground repeatedly, while Thistle let out pitiful wails.

Harley had had enough. Trailing the rope behind him and ignoring his injured paw, he flew at Bugler, landing on the bigger dog's back and biting at the scruff of his neck. "Let him go!" he barked.

Bugler did let go of Thistle, but then flung Harley off and pinned the hound mix down on the ground and slammed a huge paw down his chest, knocking the breath out of him.

"You really know how to piss me off, mutt." Bugler licked his jowls. "But trust me, you'll be an obedient little doggy when I'm through with ya…"

"Bugler!" Travis called out. He came over, and nudged Bugler off of Harley, picking up the end of the rope.  
"Let's wait until we get home. Then, you can have at him." A nasty grin spread across Travis's face.

Bugler had a look of twisted delight on his face, slobber dripping from his fangs. Thistle, who was getting to his paws, looked at Harley with a mixture of gratitude and horror.

About an hour later, Travis had brought his dogs back home. He chained everyone but Bugler and Harley to the back wall, and then led Harley towards the wire dog kennel. With a jolt of fear, Harley remembered Thistle saying, "You don't want to know what the kennel's used for."

"Get in there, you worthless sack of bones!" Travis undid the rope from Harley's neck and kicked him into the kennel. He then turned to Bugler. "Have at him, boy."

Bugler stepped into the kennel, a wild gleam in his eyes. "We're gonna have some fun!" he sneered. "You see, this pen is where dogs learn their lessons from me! And it's time for you to learn one!"

Travis swung the kennel door shut, and then Hustler and Jet began to cheer Bugler on. Harley had no time to react. Bugler grabbed him by the neck and slammed him hard against the wire wall of the kennel. Harley shrieked as the massive dog began to bite and claw at him all over, slamming him against the ground and walls of the kennel. He had no room to escape or fight in the narrow kennel. He managed to grab one of Bugler's legs in his jaws, but he was shaken off. Bugler grabbed him by the paw the badger had bitten, and Harley shrieked as he was swung around the kennel. Then, the huge hound placed a paw on his throat, cutting off his air supply, and slashed him in the face with his fangs. Blood sprayed into Harley's eyes, stinging them. Then, Bugler threw him against the fence, which served as the back wall of the kennel, and Harley heard something deep inside his body crack.

"Alright boy, that's enough!" Travis opened the kennel door, letting Bugler out, and then slammed it shut again. Harley lay there, bleeding in several places, as the other dogs jeered and yelled insults at him. He was in so much pain he couldn't even move an inch.

"Lie there and think about what a worthless piece of shit you are!" Bugler roared.

Harley closed his eyes, accepting defeat. He lay there, floating in and out of consciousness all day, as the summer heat beat down on him. He longed for water, his throat dry as sandpaper. He ached all over, and the blood from his injuries made his fur sticky. By the time the sun began to set, he was wishing he was dead. He closed his eyes again, and drifted off into a disturbed sleep.

"You're such a wuss! You let a girl beat you up!" In Harley's dream, he was a puppy again, playing with his siblings in Amos's yard. One of his sisters had just flipped him over on his back, and his brother, Riker, was mocking him.

Riker. He'd been the biggest, noisiest pup in the litter, while Harley had been the smallest and weakest. Harley was like his father—mild mannered and humble, while Riker was like their mother, only much, much more arrogant. He'd always bragged that he was going to be the best hunter there ever was, and told Harley that he was a runt who would never achieve anything. Harley and Riker were the only males in the litter, and Harley felt as though he could relate to Riker better than their three sisters. But Riker never wanted to play with him, saying he was too weak and boring.

"Come on, Riker, wrestle with me!" Harley whined.

"Go let the girls beat you up!" Riker snapped, busy sniffing around a tree. "I'm training to be a hunting dog, I don't have time to play with wimps like you!"

The dream transitioned to a scene from a few months ago, when Riker was bought by a hunter impressed with his tracking skills. He'd said emotional goodbyes to his parents and his sisters, but had completely ignored Harley. Then Harley's sisters had been sold, one by one, until only he was left.

_I've always been an outcast,_ Harley thought bitterly. _In my own family, and now in my new pack. I can't take it anymore. _

He opened his eyes, staring up through the wire of the kennel. The sky was fading from black to indigo, indicating that dawn wasn't too far off. Loud snores indicated that the other dogs were asleep. Harley forced himself to his feet, even though every muscle in his body cried out in pain, and stumbled over to where the walls of the kennel met the fence. Then, he began to dig.

"Harley—what are you doing?" A hushed voice startled him, and he whirled around to see Thistle staring at him through the wire.

"Thistle…?" Harley cocked his head in confusion. "How…how did you get off your chain?"

"I…I learned how to twist out of my collar a while back." Thistle looked down at his paws.

"And yet you've never tried to escape?" Harley asked.

"Of course not! I mean, I only do it to get off that awful chain for a bit…but I've never gone far and have always come back," Thistle replied.

"But…_why _would you stay here?" Harley raised his eyebrows at Thistle.

"Isn't it obvious?" Thistle murmured. "If I try to run off, Bugler will find me, drag me back, and beat me within an inch of my life. And he'll do that to you, too."

"You really think that way, Thistle?" he snorted. "You look like you wouldn't stand another beating. You could leave if you just had more confidence. You could come with me—we'd stand more of a chance out there if we were together."

Thistle looked as if he were contemplating the option, and then shook his head. "No….it's no use," he whispered.

"You fool," Harley growled. "Whatever, go away."

Thistle slunk back to his sleeping place, where he wiggled his head back through his collar. Harley sighed and continued to dig. The soil was surprisingly loose, and in just a short amount of time he'd made a decent sized hole under the fence. He looked back at Thistle, who simply nodded at Harley. The hound mix sighed again, then squeezed under the fence and limped off into the night. Thunder growled in the distance, which gave Harley some relief. Being injured, he wouldn't be able to go very far, but if it stormed, the rain would wash away his scent and make him harder to track down.

_Where do I go?_ Harley thought to himself. He wanted more than anything to return to his parents, but was afraid Amos would send him back to Travis. He had nowhere to go. But still, he limped onward, unable to imagine any worse place to be than with Travis and Bugler.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

For days, Cedar wandered around the forest, delirious with grief. He'd gone back to the river, and searched up and down it, but found no trace of Clover. His father and sister were gone. He was all alone.

_It's my fault,_ Cedar told himself as he lay under the thick branches of a pine tree during a night storm. _I should have taken better care of them…I broke Big Mama's promise…I've failed my family…_

The wind howled as the storm raged on, making a very lonely sounding noise. Cedar shivered, the rain leaking through the branches and soaking his fur.

_I wish I could just die, right here. Then I'd be with my family again._

Eventually, the storm relented, and the sun rose once more. Cedar slept until the humming of cicadas woke him up. The air was humid and sticky. Cedar shook raindrops off his fur, and continued aimlessly wandering. He knew he should be heading to the east, where it was supposedly safer, but he didn't care about that anymore. He didn't care if more hunters came and shot him.

He found himself at the bottom of the slope where his family had been broken up by the hounds chasing them. He could still detect faint traces of their stinking pelts. Suddenly, a fairly fresh scent wafted over him, and he froze in terror.

_There's a hound here…where is it? _He looked wildly around, but saw nothing. Then, a low whimper came from the nearby ditch. Cedar slowly made his way towards it, and peered over the edge.

There, lying in the mud at the bottom was indeed a hound. Its eyes were closed, and its coat was covered in grime and dried blood. Its ribs were poking through its matted coat, and it was whimpering in its sleep. Cedar stood there, bewildered. He'd never seen a hound so…helpless looking. He hopped down into the ditch, and slowly approached the unconscious dog. He reached out a paw and poked at it.

_You're crazy,_ he told himself. _That's a HOUND, it'll rip you to shreds! _

The dog blinked. It looked around weakly, and then let out a hoarse moan.

Cedar cautiously sniffed the air, trying to pick up the scent of man, but found none. This hound was on its own. He poked it again.

_What am I doing? Hounds killed my family! Why should I help one? _Cedar continued to reprimand himself, but somehow, he couldn't leave this hurt creature alone in the ditch, and, being a fox, he had a naturally large curiosity.

The hound looked weakly up at Cedar. "Huh? Who's there?" he mumbled, sounding confused.

"Um…I'm Cedar. What happened to you?"

"Had to get away…fell down here…too tired to get up." The dog was obviously delirious. Cedar wondered how long it had been since he'd had food or water.

"Um…just stay there," said Cedar. "I'll go catch something for you."

He still couldn't understand why he was helping a hound…._a_ _hound_, of all creatures. But after being chased out of his home and hunted down, Cedar knew what it was like to feel helpless. Suddenly, he remembered the story Tod used to tell him as a kit, of how he battled a giant bear to save his childhood friend, also a hound.

_Would you have helped this dog too, Dad? _Cedar wondered as he crept up on an unsuspecting rabbit, nibbling at a flower. He pounced and killed the rabbit with one swift bite, then brought it back to the hound and dropped it into the ditch next to him.

"Here…I got you some food." Cedar watched as the dog raised its head an inch and sniffed at the rabbit. Then, he reached out a paw and drew it closer, beginning to rip at its fur and chew the flesh beneath. The hound must have been very hungry, for he managed to eat the whole thing.

"Thanks…uh…who are you?" the hound looked up at Cedar, and suddenly, his eyes grew wide. "Wait…you're not a dog…you're a…what are you?"

"I'm a fox." Cedar cocked his head. "You've never seen one before?"

"Well, no. I've heard of 'em, but never actually seen one…until now." The hound blinked. "But…why would you help me? My kind hunts your kind."

"I know. But…you seem different," Cedar admitted. "Have you hunted a fox before?"

"No." The dog raised himself to a sitting position, and began to sniff at Cedar, who backed away a little.

"I've hunted badgers, and raccoons, and rabbits…but my old master never took me on a fox hunt, because of, um…personal reasons." The two animals sat in silence for a bit, both feeling awkward. Then Cedar asked, "What happened to you?"

"I…I got sold to a new owner," the dog explained. "My old one gave me away to this horrible man, with a bloodthirsty pack of dogs. He beats them and starves them to keep them in shape…he had his biggest dog attack me for disobeying him. I had to get out of there…but I slipped coming down this slope and didn't have to energy to get out of this ditch. But I think I can now." The hound pulled himself up over the edge, and shook his coat, spraying Cedar with mud.

"Hey!" the fox jumped back.

"Sorry." The hound sat down and began to lick at one of his pads, which was bloody and in tatters.

"Dear god, what happened to your paw?" Cedar asked. He sniffed at it, detecting infection.

"A badger bit it," the hound replied. "Anyways, uh…thanks for the rabbit. Do you have a name?"

"I'm Cedar," the fox introduced himself. "And you are…"

"Harley," said the hound. "Y'know, I've heard a bunch of stories about foxes being nasty little creatures. But you seem pretty decent."

"Of course you'd hear that," Cedar growled. "Humans probably teach you that we're the worst things on earth. Anyways, I have to get going." He stood up, suddenly remembering that he was a fox and this was a hound, and he almost felt as if he'd betrayed his kind by helping one.

But Harley followed him. "Where are you going?" the hound almost sounded sad.

"There have been hunters everywhere lately," Cedar replied. "I'm headed towards the east, where it's safer."

"Well, I just thought…" Harley's voice trailed off.

"You just thought what?"

"Well….my master is probably searching for me with his other dogs. I need to make a move on before they find me. Since you need to be somewhere far away, and I need to be somewhere far away, well…maybe we could stick together for a bit?"

Cedar sighed. "I'm sorry, but if there's hounds after you, I don't want to be around if they find you."

"Well…" said Harley. "Um…you kind of just saved me from going hungry, so I owe you one. If they come after us, I'll fight them off."

Cedar raised his eyebrows. "You seem pretty afraid of them. Are you sure you can take them on?"

"I can at least hold them off." Harley gave an awkward smile.

Every instinct was telling Cedar it was dangerous to stay with this hound, and yet, somehow, he felt Harley could be trusted. After all, his father had been friends with a hound, so why couldn't he?

"Alright," Cedar decided. "But you better keep up with me."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

_I can't believe I'm on the run with a fox. _

Harley looked over at Cedar, who was curled up asleep a few feet away from him. They'd traveled until dark, and then found a dip in the ground in between a clump of trees, where they'd chosen to take shelter for the night. Now and then, Cedar would stir awake and open one eye, as if he were afraid that Harley would suddenly bite his head off while he was sleeping. The fox had kept a fair distance from him while they'd been traveling, though the fact that he trusted him enough to come along with him was something. He'd even chewed up some berries that he said were good for treating infections and licked the juice into Harley's hurt paw.

_I wonder what my dad would say, _Harley thought, thinking back to Copper's story about Tod the fox. _Would he have trusted Cedar? _

And yet there was a feeling…a very strange feeling, that Harley should stay with Cedar. The hound wondered if he was just craving company, but still, there was something about this fox that made him feel like he was missing some important detail…

Cedar suddenly jerked awake, and looked wildly around, startling Harley, who jumped to his paws.

"What's wrong!?"

"Oh…sorry, I uh, had a nightmare."

Harley sighed with relief. He'd been very tense since he'd escaped from Travis's yard, jumping at every noise and cocking his ears for the bays of his hounds. He knew Travis would have set the other dogs on Harley's trail the minute he'd discovered he'd escaped. However, it had rained heavily the night he'd left, and he hoped that his scent had been washed away.

"I'm sorry," Harley said to Cedar. "What was it about?"  
"I'd rather not talk about it," Cedar sighed. Then he said, "You're really polite for a hound...the others I've met have just seemed so bloodthirsty…"

Harley nodded, thinking of Bugler. "Some of us just get riled up while hunting. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it, but I can't say I'm as passionate about it as others, especially after seeing the kind of hunting Travis does." He shuddered.

"You really trust me, even though I'm a fox?" Cedar cocked his head.

"Well, yeah," said Harley. "You're the first fox I've ever met, and you saved my life, so you've pretty much left a good impression." He chuckled. "Do you trust me?"

"I suppose I don't have any reason not to," Cedar replied. "Besides, um…this might sound crazy, but…my dad was friends with a hound once."

"Wait…_what?_" Harley's mouth fell open. Cedar shrank back.  
"I'm sorry, did I say something wrong…."

"No, no! It's just…_my_ dad was friends with a _fox_ once!"

"You're kidding." Cedar's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Nope, I'm not. Is your dad's name Tod?"

"How did you…" Cedar stuttered. "Wait, is your dad's name Copper?"

"Holy crap, yes!"

Cedar gasped. "You've got to be kidding me…you're really Copper's son?"

"This is so weird…" Harley grinned. "But kind of cool! My dad told me your dad saved him from a bear!"

"He did. He told me all about your dad."

"Awesome! Hey, uh…where is Tod? I'd like to meet him!"

Cedar gave his head a slow shake. "He's dead. He was killed by hounds about a week ago. And my sister…last I saw her, she was chased to the river and fell in. I think she's dead too…"

"Oh." Harley had no idea what to say. The two of them sat there in silence for a few minutes, and then heard a noise off in the distance; a slow, deep wailing. Harley's heart stopped.

"Oh no," he whispered.

Cedar stared at him. "Was that…?"

"Yes. Run."

Harley would have recognized Bugler's bay anywhere. Somehow, they'd found his trail. He and Cedar sped off into the trees as another howl rang out, this one slightly closer.

"What do we do if they catch us!?" Cedar cried.

"Just keep running!" Harley panted.

The fox and the hound ran for their lives, the howling getting nearer and nearer. But just ahead, Harley could hear water running. They raced down an incline, where there was a stream at the bottom, flowing downwards from the top of a rocky outcrop. Harley could just see a small space in the rock behind the tiny waterfall, big enough for a fox to hide in.

"Cedar, go hide up there! I'll hold them off!" Harley barked.

"But Harley, they'll…."

"Just do it!" The howls were very close now. Cedar leapt into the stream and scrambled up the wet ledges of rock, then darted through the waterfall into the hiding spot. Harley leaped up on a ledge of the rock further away from the waterfall, and waited, growling softly. As scared as he was, Cedar had saved his life, and he was going to return the favor.

About a minute later, Jet came racing down the incline, howling his head off. As he passed under the ledge, Harley leapt down and pounced on the foxhound. Jet shrieked in surprise, and the two hounds tumbled around on the ground until Harley got a grip on his neck, and slammed him headfirst into the rock. Jet went limp, now out cold. He could hear the barks of the other dogs as they came closer, and he braced himself again. Hustler appeared next, and let out a furious snarl when he saw the unconscious Jet. Harley dodged the Plott hound's snapping jaws, then gripped one of his ears in his teeth and pulled. The sickening sound of tearing flesh ripped the air, and Hustler screamed as half his ear went flying through the air. He turned and went running back up the incline, blood spraying from the intact half of his ear, but stopped when a booming voice said, "HUSTLER, YOU GET BACK THERE AND FIGHT!"

The massive form of Bugler appeared over the slope, snarling and running straight at Harley, who tried to dodge him, but the huge dog leapt into the air and landed on the hound mix. Bugler held Harley's head under the stream with a huge paw, his claws pressing painfully into him.

"Travis won't let you live when he sees what you've done," Bugler sneered. "If you'd let us take you back without a fight, we may not have even punished you. But you've attacked your pack mates. You're a dangerous wild dog. I'm going to hold you here until Travis comes to put a bullet in your head. That is, if you don't drown first."

"GET OFF HIM!" Bugler yelped in surprise, and lifted his paw off of Harley. The hound raised his head to see Cedar on top of Bugler's back, pulling at one of his ears with his jaws. Bugler let out an enraged roar and flung the fox off. Cedar landed hard against a tree.

"You're friends with a _fox_?" Bugler let out a ferocious noise, spit flying from his jowls. "You're _really_ a disgrace! Hustler, kill the fox. I'll take care of this traitor."

"NO!" Harley yelled as Hustler grabbed Cedar by the throat and began to dig in with his teeth. Cedar let out a strangled cry and struggled, but trapped in the Plott hound's strong grip.

A fiery rage exploded in Harley, giving him an extra rush of adrenaline. He leapt over Bugler, and landed on top of Hustler, clamping his jaws around the back of his neck. Hustler let go of Cedar and snarled, trying to turn around and get at Harley. With a mighty heave, the hound mix threw the Plott hound at Bugler, and the two dogs collided and landed in a heap together. Harley panted, his heart pounding like a jackhammer.

"Get off!" Bugler leapt to his feet and flung Hustler off him, then knocked Harley to the ground again. Harley grabbed the folded skin around Bugler's neck, biting down as hard as he could, and scrabbling at Bugler's belly with his hind claws, but the bigger dog wouldn't budge.

"You've pissed me off for the last time, mutt!" Bugler's eyes were narrow slits of hate, and his putrid breath choked Harley. "It's time to die."

"Harley!" Suddenly, a white blur came out nowhere and hit Bugler, who let go of Harley and whirled around to face his attacker. Harley looked up in astonishment to see Thistle, his teeth bared at Bugler. "You'd kill one of your own pack mates? You monster!" the little mongrel snarled.

"Thistle! You god damn traitor!" Bugler lunged at Thistle, but he darted under Bugler, just barely missing his jaws. Harley took the opportunity to lunge forward and grab one of Bugler's ears in his teeth, ripping it in half just as he'd done with Hustler. While Bugler was screaming in pain, he leapt on top of the big dog's back, and tore a huge chunk of flesh from his shoulder. Blood gushed from the wound, and while Bugler was busy screaming about that, Thistle tore his other ear. Bugler fell over on his side, twitching in pain. Harley ran over to Cedar, who lay still, his neck bleeding.

"I'm sorry, Harley," Thistle panted as Harley hoisted the injured fox onto his back. "I should have come with you…"

He was interrupted by the explosion of a rifle. The dogs took off running as Travis came running into the clearing, screaming and shaking with rage. Fortunately, he was shaking so much that his aim was off while shooting at Harley and Thistle. The two of them fled into the trees opposite the stream.

"BUGLER, YOU WORTHLESS MUTT!" Travis boomed. "YOU LET THAT SCRAWNY LITTLE HOUND BEAT YOU?" Harley glanced over his shoulder to see Travis pointing his gun at Bugler, who was still bleeding on the ground, and pulled the trigger, shooting his dog right in the head.

Harley and Thistle exchanged horrified glances, and then ran faster.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Uhh…what's going on?" Cedar weakly opened his eyes. Thistle was crouched next to him, holding a wad of cobwebs to the fox's bleeding throat.

"Oh thank goodness," Harley sighed with relief. "For a moment I'd thought we'd lost you."

"The other dogs…are they gone?" Cedar croaked.

Harley nodded. "We fought them off."

Cedar looked up at Thistle. "Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm Thistle," the little hound replied. "Don't try to talk, you'll lose more blood." Then he turned to Harley. "So um…are you two friends?"

"Sort of. Our dads knew each other." Thistle gave him a confused look. "It's a long story."

"So, where are you two headed?" Thistle asked, still holding the cobwebs to Cedar's throat with a paw. "I uh, don't have anywhere to go now that I've left the pack…I was wondering with…" 

"Of course you can come with us, Thistle," said Harley. He smiled. "After all, you saved me back there."

"Thanks." Thistle looked at the ground, looking a bit embarrassed. "I...I've always been a coward. But now that I'm away from Travis, maybe I can be brave, like you."

"You were pretty damn brave today. Bugler was like, five times your size!" Harley praised.

"Bugler," Thistle sighed. "He was a monster, but…I still can't believe Travis shot him."

"Humans," Cedar hissed. "They're such bastards."

"Well, from now on, we're free from them," Harley declared. "We are wild animals now. We do what we want!"

They stayed put for the night, to let Cedar's wounds heal. In the morning, he'd regained most of his strength, and they set off. Two long, red marks remained on Cedar's throat where he'd been bitten, and they looked like they would scar, but he bounded along, having little trouble keeping up with Harley and Thistle.

Around noon, they reached another stream where Cedar caught a few minnows, which they ate. By late afternoon, they'd reached the edge of the forest. An acrid, smoky smell came to Harley's nostrils, making him cough. Poking his head through a bush, he saw a paved road before him. He jumped back as a big semi-truck whizzed by.

"I've never seen trucks that big before!" he gasped.

Thistle nodded. "I lived in the city when I was a pup, which was full of roads like these. You have to be careful when crossing them or you'll get hit."

He nervously stepped out of the bushes, and glanced left and right, his nose quivering and ears twitching.

"There's another one coming, but if we go now, we can get to the other side."

Harley took a deep breath, and then darted across the path. His injured pad scraped painfully against the pavement; it had healed quite a bit, but still hurt touching such a rough surface. Cedar past him, yelling, "Come on, Harley!" A pickup truck came into view at the end of the road, and Harley limped as quickly as he could to the other side.

"That wasn't so bad," he said, licking his paw. "Come on, let's get moving."

They walked alongside the road for about an hour, not exactly sure where they were going, but Cedar said that the roads lay between the city and the local farms, and beyond the farms, to the east, was the forest they were headed for. A few humans stared at them as they drove by in their vehicles, probably surprised to see two dogs traveling with a fox. Eventually they reached an intersection. Traffic was even busier here. Cedar screwed up his nose and flattened his ears, obviously not used to such loud noises and strange smells.

"Hey, look at that!" Harley spotted something lying at the edge of the road. Getting closer, he saw that it was a dead pigeon. Its wings were crushed and some of its entrails were poking out, indicating it had been hit by a car. But from the way it smelled, it had only been dead for a few hours, and was quite plump.

"Hey guys I found din…" Suddenly, a loop of wire closed around Harley's neck. He'd been so busy investigating the pigeon that he hadn't noticed a white truck pulling up behind him, looking similar to Travis's portable dog kennel.

"Hey, easy there, dog!" The wire loop was attached to the end of a pole, which a man was gripping. Harley wriggled and twisted, but couldn't get free.

"Get out of here!" he yelled as another man walked towards Thistle and Cedar, who took off running.

"Hey, help me with this one!" the man handling Harley called to the other one, who'd gone chasing after the others. Together the two men hoisted the hound into one of the compartments of the truck, and slammed it shut.

"Was that a _fox?_" Harley heard one of the men exclaim.

"Yeah, it was! You ever seen dogs just chillin' with a fox?"

"Nope! Mighty weird, it was."

Harley slumped miserably against the side of the cage as the truck drove away.

_Cedar was right,_ he thought. _Humans suck._


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Where are those men taking Harley!?" Cedar cried. He and Thistle were crouched behind a small store near the intersection.

"Those were dogcatchers. They took him to the pound," Thistle wheezed. He was panting and shaking, still shook up from the encounter with the men.

"The pound?" said Cedar.

"It's where they take stray dogs, and keep them locked up. It's a horrible place." Thistle shivered. "I was born in one."

"Well…what are we going to do?" Cedar's fur bristled. "We have to help Harley!"

"I think I remember where the pound is," said Thistle. His eyes bulged with anxiety. "I don't know if we can do it, but if we somehow sneak over there, we can see if we can do anything to help him."

When Harley arrived at the pound, he was taken into a back room, where he was examined by a veterinarian. He felt tempted to bite the man, who prodded and poked him all over, but he spoke in a kind voice, so Harley decided against it. He made himself sit still through it all, even though he howled when they drew blood from him for a rabies test. He was then taken to the main part of the building, filled with kennels of howling and barking dogs. The noise was deafening, and the air smelled strongly of urine and fear. Harley was shoved into an empty kennel between two occupied ones. To his left, a skinny gray dog was curled up in the corner with its back to him, and to his right, an old bearded collie lay miserably on the floor. Occasionally he'd raise his shaggy head and snap at the other dogs to stop making noise.

Harley sat down, sighing and accepting defeat. Three of the kennel walls were made of wire, and the back wall was solid concrete. All of them were about six feet tall, far too high for him to jump over. He sniffed at his food and water bowls; the dog food smelled even worse than the stuff Travis had given him, and the water tasted of chemicals. He curled up miserably on the cold concrete floor, exhausted and having no idea what to do. Night had fallen outside; maybe an idea for escape would come to him in his sleep. But it was nearly impossible to sleep with the nonstop barking and howling from his neighbors. In the pen across from Harley, a Chihuahua let out a shrill yip every few minutes that hurt his eardrums.

"For the love of Pete, _please_ shut up!" the bearded collie snapped at the Chihuahua.

"_You_ shut up, you cranky old fart!" the Chihuahua snapped back.

A German shepherd in the kennel next to the Chihuahua let out a rusty laugh, obviously enjoying the drama. He then looked towards the skinny gray dog on Harley's other side.

"Hey babe!" he called in an ugly, scratchy voice. "If this place ever gets overcrowded, I hope I get to share a kennel with you! You are one fine lookin' bitch!"

There was suddenly a blur of gray as the dog lunged against her kennel door, snarling through the wire.

"_Don't call me a bitch!"_ she roared. "There's no way I'd _ever_ get with a sexist pig like you!"

"Ooooh," the Chihuahua sneered mockingly. "Burrrn."

"This wire isn't that strong," the female dog growled threateningly. "One night, I'm going to break through it while you're asleep, and both of you will wake up with your you-know-what's missing."

The shepherd let out another rude laugh. "Yeah? I'd like to see ya try, bitch."

"Leave her alone!" Harley barked at the shepherd, who glared at him.

"Who do ya think ya are, tellin' me what to do, newcomer? I'm just tryin' to have fun during my last week here. I've been in this place for almost two months now—I'm on death row."

"Death row?" Harley echoed.

"Yeah, don't ya know that after two months, your time here is up, and then they take ya to the back room and off ya?" the shepherd growled. "Then it's into the incinerator."

"Good riddance," the female dog snapped. "I'll be so glad not having to look at your ugly face anymore."

"Bitch! If I could get out of here I'd show you how we males keep disrespectful bitches like you in line!" the shepherd barked, pawing at his kennel door.

"I would just ignore him," Harley murmured to the female dog next to him. She was a tall, slender greyhound, with a silver coat, white paws, and darker stripes brindled across her back. Harley had to admit the shepherd was right about her being fine looking.

"Like that ever works," she growled under her breath. "They never stop taunting me. I'm going to rip them apart one day."

"Hey you, hound!" the shepherd barked. "Back away from the bitch! She's mine!"

"She doesn't belong to anyone!" Harley barked back. "_You_ back off, you pervert!"

"WILL YOU ALL JUST SHUT UP!?" the bearded collie roared. "Or _I'll_ be the one tearing your privates off!"

While the Chihuahua and shepherd were exchanging insults with the old dog, Harley whispered to the greyhound, "I'm sorry they treat you this way."

"Yeah, well, welcome to the pound," she grumbled. "The friendliest place on earth."

"What's a pretty dog like you doing in a place like this?" Harley asked. "I—I don't mean that in the way that guy means it…"

"My owner abandoned me," she said curtly. "I used to be a racing greyhound. I did races for three years, and then I wasn't winning as many as I used to, so my owner dumped me here."

"I'm sorry," said Harley. "Me…well, I was traveling with some friends, and the dogcatchers caught me. I hope I see them again somehow…"

"You won't," said the greyhound. "There's no way out of here, and trust me, neither of us are getting adopted. Only the puppies get adopted."

"Well that's a pretty negative way of thinking," said Harley gently.

"I'm being realistic," she snapped.

"Well…I'm sorry. But I'm going to try and find a way out of here," said Harley.

"Good luck with that," the greyhound snorted, going to curl up in the corner again.

"Hey, what's your name?" he asked.

The greyhound lifted her head, said, "Quicksilver," and lay her head back down.

"I'm Harley," Harley introduced himself.

"Hmph," Quicksilver murmured. "Well congratulations, Harley. You're the first dog I've met here who I just _may_ not hate."

_Wow, she's got something stuck up where the sun don't shine, _Harley thought. _But I think she just said she likes me. _


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Are you sure this is the right place?"

Cedar and Thistle were standing outside a chain link fence that wrapped around the back of a building. Cedar was eyeing a few garbage cans standing against the wall, underneath a small window that was open. From inside came the echoing sounds of several agitated dogs.

Thistle nodded. "But Cedar, how are you going to get out of there once you're in?"

"I don't know," Cedar sighed. "Maybe make noise outside, get the humans to open the back door?"

Thistle quivered. "I don't want to get trapped in there again."

"I won't let you," said Cedar firmly. "Now let's do this thing."

They began to dig under the fence.

Harley awoke to the sound of a kennel door creaking open and vicious barking. The shepherd across from Quicksilver had slunk to the back wall of his kennel, tail tucked between his legs. He was snarling at two workers standing at the door.

"I'm sorry boy," said one of them sympathetically. "But your time is up." The other one looped a wire at the end of a pole around the shepherd's neck, and dragged him out of the kennel. The dog struggled, wriggling and digging in his heels and trying to bite at the two men. Finally, the men managed to pull the shepherd all the way across the room, towards a door in the back. The dog's growls turned to whimpers, and Harley saw a look of terror flash in his eyes as they shut the door behind him.

"Finally, peace and quiet," the old collie groaned.

"How can you say that!?" Harley cried. "They're…they're going to kill him!"

"No shit!" the collie snapped. "I can't wait until the day they do it to me. I'd rather be dead in a place like this."

"Well not me!" Harley stood up at pawed at his door. "I'm getting out of here!"

"There's no way out, stupid," the collie murmured.

"Harley." Quicksilver came over, sounding a bit gentler than the night before. "He's right. No one's ever escaped from here."

Right as she said that, there came a clattering noise from outside. A dog at the end of the kennels cried, "Hey, there's something coming through the window!"

Harley peered out of his kennel door to see a figure land on the floor, looking around bewildered.

_No way. That can't be…_

"Cedar!?" Harley cried.

"Harley!?" The figure came running down the hallway between the kennels.

"It's a fox!" The sight of Cedar drove several of the dogs mad. They clawed at their kennel doors and snarled and slobbered. Cedar ignored them all and skidded to a halt in front of Harley's kennel.

"How did you get in here!?" Harley stared at his friend in disbelief.

"Thistle was born here, and knew where it was. We dug under the fence and then I jumped through the window using some garbage cans outside." Cedar said all of this very quickly. "Look, we gotta move." He stood up on his hind legs and studied the catch on Harley's kennel. He managed to lift it up with his paw, and the door swung open.

"Wait…what's going on?" Quicksilver demanded. "What's a _fox_ doing here? Are you…friends with it?"

"Oh, Quicksilver, meet Cedar, Cedar, meet Quicksilver," said Harley. "Cedar, do you mind getting her out too?"

Cedar stretched up and pawed at the catch on Quicksilver's kennel, freeing her as well.

"Whoa! That fox can open doors!" the Chihuahua yapped.

"Can you open mine, too?" another dog called.

Cedar ran around, freeing several dogs, including the Chihuahua and the old collie. Several continued to try and at him through the doors, so he didn't bother freeing them.

"Okay, now how are we getting out?" Harley asked.

"Uh…" Cedar gave a sheepish grin. "Shucks, I didn't really think about that."

"Are you kidding me?" Quicksilver snapped.

"What the devil is going on in here!?" came a voice from behind the door that connected the lobby to the main room. A worker swung the door open, and his jaw practically fell to the floor when he saw half the dogs out of their kennels, and a fox standing in the midst of them.

"The dogs are out of their…" the man didn't get to finish his sentence, as all the dogs came barreling towards the door, barking with the excitement of freedom. The man went scurrying back into the lobby. The next few minutes were quite wild and confusing…dogs running around the lobby, barking and jumping around, trying to find a way out, humans yelling, and something jumping up at the window and yapping. Harley's heart gave a leap when he recognized Thistle. One of the men opened the window and grabbed him, but Harley hurtled through the man's legs and out the window, making him fall down and drop Thistle. Cedar then dived through the window, and most of the dogs were able to leap through as well before the humans managed to close it. They ran through the streets as a large group, startling many civilians and darting around vehicles. Harley, Cedar, Thistle, and Quicksilver broke off as a separate group, and managed to find an old alleyway behind a thrift shop to hide in.

"I thought I'd never see you two again!" Harley panted.

"After all you've done for me, I couldn't just leave you in there to rot," said Cedar.

"Who's this?" Thistle glanced at Quicksilver.

"I'm Quicksilver, and very confused," said the greyhound. "And…grateful. Thank you, fox."

"Don't mention it," said Cedar.

"But how are you friends?" Quicksilver asked. "I mean…I thought I'd _never_ see a fox and a hound working together."

"Well now you have," said Harley.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Cedar and the dogs had waited until nightfall to leave the alleyway, when they could slip through the town hidden in the shadows. They reached the tree line of a small wood, which ended at a field with an abandoned barn in the middle. They made their way in through a hole in the wall, and spent the night there. The floor was covered in several inches of straw, and every now and then it would rustle and a mouse would poke its head out. Cedar caught several of them for everyone to eat, and then they fell into an exhausted sleep in the thick mounds of hay.

It was nearly dawn when the shuffling of hay woke Harley up. He opened his eyes to see Quicksilver heading out of the hole in the barn. She sat down on the ground, and glanced up at the pink and purple sky of early morning. A few faint stars twinkled overhead.

"Is something wrong?" Harley whispered, poking his head out of the hole.

"No, it's just…I haven't seen the sky in a long time," Quicksilver replied. "Almost all my life I've been shut up in a kennel. Back when I was a racing dog, I'd spend my whole day locked up, only to come out for a few hours to win money for my owner." She sighed. "I thought I might never see the outdoors again."

"I know what you mean," said Harley. "Until recently I belonged to a man who kept me chained up all day, and his other hounds used me as a punching bag." Looking closely at Quicksilver, he could see a few thin scars showing through her short fur.

"My owner was a drunken idiot who would kick me if I didn't place first in races," Quicksilver sighed. "I took a chunk out of his leg once. I hate humans."

"Well, you won't have to deal with them anymore, as long as I'm around," Harley reassured her.

"I used to dream of escaping. But I never thought I'd be on the run with a bunch of mutts and a fox." Quicksilver gave a small smile. "But it should be more interesting than life in a cage."

"The forest is a beautiful place," Harley told her. "Cedar has shown me all sorts of cools stuff, like how to catch fish and berries that are good for healing wounds."

"How _did_ you become friends with a fox anyways?" Quicksilver asked.

And so Harley told her the story of Tod and Copper, and how Cedar had helped Harley, and their fight with Bugler and the other dogs. She listened closely, growing more and more interested as the story went along.

"Wow, poor Cedar, losing his father and sister like that." Quicksilver said when he had finished. "I don't remember my family. I was sold away from my mother when I was very young."

"I was sort of an outcast in my family," Harley admitted, gazing up at the stars. "My mother was a purebred show dog, my father was one of the best trackers around, and my siblings were good trackers too, especially my brother Riker. But I was the runt of the litter, and not very good at anything."

"You seem pretty competent now," said Quicksilver. "I've mean, you brought down a dog twice your size. That's something."

"Getting to know each other, hm?" said a teasing voice behind them. Harley turned to see Cedar emerging from the hole in the barn. He had a smug grin on his face. Harley shot the fox a glare, his face growing hot. "No, we were…just admiring the sunrise."

"Sure." Cedar scratched at his ear, still grinning. Thistle poked his head out of the hole.

"Are we still heading to the woods in the east?" he asked Harley.  
Harley turned to Quicksilver. "Do you want to go there?" he asked her.

"I don't care where we go," said Quicksilver. "I just want to get as far away from the pound as possible."

The three dogs and the fox continued their traveling. For two days, they made their way through small woods and past several farms. One of them had a guard dog that spotted them and barked noisily, and they had to dodge a few bullets when its owner shot at them, but other than that they had little trouble. They reached the eastern forest by dusk of the second day. It was a thick, dark forest mainly consisted of pine trees, which wrapped around the base of the local mountain chain.

"This place feels kind of spooky," said Thistle nervously as they padded through the shadows of the forest. Indeed, it felt quite different from the other forest. Not only was it darker, but it was very quiet, too. So far, the only sounds they'd heard were the padding of their own paws and the occasional caw of a bird. Overhead, the treetops appeared black against a blazing orange sky.

"I smell a lot of animals, though," said Harley, sniffing the musky air. "They're probably not very active in the evening."

"I heard that humans avoid this place because of bears," Cedar sniffed the air as well. "I really hope that's just a rumor."

"Well, I haven't smelled any so far," said Harley.

"I heard your father fought a bear once, Cedar," said Quicksilver. "That was pretty damn brave, seeing as the bear must have been at least ten times his size. He'd be proud of you for coming into this forest." The journey seemed to have had a positive impact on Quicksilver, for she'd become less cold and more sociable.

"Thanks, Quicksilver, but it was just a stroke of luck that my father survived." Cedar shook his head. "I wish he were here with us…"

"Well, he isn't. I don't mean to sound rough, but that's what everyone has children for, to carry out their legacy," said Quicksilver. "If it's anything I've learned these past few days, it's that life sucks, but you still have to look for hope." She gave Harley a warm gaze, and he felt his face grow hot again.

"Hey! I smell rabbit!" Thistle hissed. The animals had reached a clearing illuminated by the dying sunlight. They crouched down, keeping themselves hidden from a rabbit, which was sitting by a fallen log and munching on the grass. Thistle crept forward slowly, placing his paws carefully on the ground so they wouldn't make much noise. When he was about five feet from the rabbit, the creature perked up its ears, stamped its hind foot, and shot off, but Thistle was faster. He pounced on the rabbit and killed it with a quick bite to the neck.

"Great catch, Thistle!" Cedar called out. He'd been teaching the dogs some of the stealth techniques used by foxes, which they'd picked up quite well. The rabbit was nice and fat and the animals tore into it hungrily. Feeling quite full, they nestled into a clump of bushes and fell asleep as darkness grew. When morning came, the forest was significantly brighter, which encouraged them to head further up the mountain.

"I can't smell a single trace of human," said Cedar happily. "We've come to a good place."

"Let's hope so," said Quicksilver. "But do any of you know what a bear smells like?"

"I do," said Thistle. "My old pack took one down once." He shuddered, as if just remembering the bear scared him. "They can kill you with one swipe of their paw, if their stench doesn't first. They're big and black and horrible, and they let out this deafening roar…Bugler managed to wound it pretty badly, but he got some bad wounds himself and couldn't hunt for a month."

"Let's see if we can find a place to settle into," said Harley, changing the subject. He didn't want to think about a creature more brutal than Bugler.

It was afternoon when they found it; an old abandoned fox set. There were several holes around a clump of big oak trees, which led to several tunnels that Cedar went down into and explored.

"It's really big!" he said, leaping out of one of the holes. "There's only a faint scent of fox—nobody's been here for a long time. Thistle, you and I can go down in here and dig around to make the burrows big enough for Harley and Quicksilver to fit into."

"It seems like there were a lot of foxes here." Harley frowned. "Do you think something drove them out?"

At that moment, as if on cue, a nearby bush rustled. Everyone stood still with their hackles raised, and then a small black head poked out of the bush and stared at them with big, curious eyes. A strange smell wafted through the air, sort of a sickly sweet odor that made Harley gag. Thistle let out a frightened squeak.

"A bear! It's a bear!"

The creature emerged fully from the bushes. It was about the size of Thistle, and had two curved ears and a stubby tail. Its body was covered in fuzzy black fur, save for its muzzle, which was tan.

"It's just a baby," said Quicksilver, but her hackles remained raised.

"Its mother is probably nearby," Thistle moaned, his entire body shaking. "We need to get out of here!"

The baby bear stood up on its hind legs and let out a little noise. It came over to Quicksilver and began pawing at her.

"No, shoo! Go away!" she barked sharply.

But the cub didn't show any fear, only more curiosity. It darted over to Cedar and began to bat at the fox's fluffy tail.

"Hey, stop that!" Cedar swept his tail away.

The cub then came over to Thistle and sniffed him. Thistle snarled and bit it right on the nose. The baby let out a loud wail. Suddenly, there was the snap of a twig and violent rustling of foliage. A much more powerful and disgusting scent spread through the air.

"Oh no." Thistle's voice was barely audible. He urinated and then crouched down in fright.

"RAAAAAAAAWWWRRRR!" a bellowing roar shook the air, and a massive figure leapt out from the trees. Towering above them was a full grown bear, about as tall as the pine trees, with jaws at least three times bigger than Bugler's. Drool dripped from its long, yellow teeth, and long, sharp claws stuck out from its paws.

"RUN!" Thistle screamed.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Thistle was a blur as he ran from the bear, but the furious mother was faster. She lunged forward and struck out with her paw, sending the little dog flying. He yelped and hit his head on a tree, then fell to the ground unconscious. The bear stepped closer to his body, but Harley dove in between them and snarled right in the bear's face.

"Harley, look out!" Cedar cried. The fox gasped as the bear opened her jaws and snapped them just an inch away from where Harley had just been. The hound ran around and nipped at the bear's back legs, barking viciously. The bear kicked him backwards, sending him flying through the air as well. Quicksilver let out a snarl and ran at the bear, then leaped, her light body soaring nimbly through the air. Her teeth clamped down on top of the bear's muzzle, and the animal roared with fury and tried to shake Quicksilver off. The baby bear was crouched in the bushes, trembling, while Cedar stood there, unable to move. He watched in horror as the bear swiped at Quicksilver, blood welling up under its claws as it hit her side. She fell hard on the ground, and the bear raised a paw to deliver another blow, but then Harley came out of nowhere and dove on top of Quicksilver as the bear brought its paw down.

"HARLEY!" Cedar shrieked. The hound's head was under the bear's massive claws. Blood seeped from under its paw in thin streams. Harley moaned and closed his eyes.

"NO!" Cedar's fear was suddenly gone, replaced by a boiling rage. With a savage noise, he jumped at the bear and latched onto its side with his teeth and claws. The bear roared and stamped around, but Cedar held on. He had no idea what he was doing, acting on instinct alone. The black fur tasted foul in his mouth, but he managed to hold on for a few minutes before the bear shook him off. She raised a paw, but he leaped up and grabbed it in his mouth. The bear flung Cedar around, and then tossed him into the air. The fox twisted in midair and landed on top of the bear's head, then bit down on her ear and pulled. She roared in pain, trying to claw at Cedar, but he was too far back for her to reach. Eventually the bear was able to fling him off again, and his body flew at a tree. He stretched out his paws and nimbly kicked off from the tree trunk, catching one of the bear's paws in his jaws again. She slammed Cedar down on the ground, and the breath went out of him. Black dots danced at the ends of his vision, and he struggled, but the bear pressed him harder into the ground. Cedar was about to black out when someone else grabbed the bear's paw and she lifted it off of Cedar. Dazed, the fox looked up to see Thistle dangling in the air, his jaws clamped around the bear's fingers. He twisted, and then blood shot through the air as he pulled one of the long claws straight out. Thistle fell on top of Cedar as the bear shook its paw around, screaming in pain. Then, blood still pouring from her wound, the bear sank down on all fours and slowly backed away. She swiftly grabbed her cub by the scruff of his neck, and then took off into the foliage.

Thistle scrambled off of Cedar and helped him to his feet. Quicksilver had crawled out from under Harley, and now she was lying on top of him, having shielded his body while Cedar fought the bear.

"Is he okay!?" Cedar cried, running over and sniffing at his friend. Harley's eyes remained closed, and giant claw marks scored across the top of his head, which were still bleeding copiously.

"He's alive," said Quicksilver. She licked at Harley's wounds. "But he took a heavy blow…I don't know if he'll wake up…" her voice trembled.

"Cedar," Thistle panted. "I didn't know you could fight like that."

"Neither did I," said Cedar. "I've never seen an animal so big."

"Looks like you've got your father's instincts," said Quicksilver. She gave a small but warm smile.

Harley blinked his eyes, his head swimming. His vision was fuzzy, and he could not think straight at all. His head felt like it was on fire. He heard someone say his name, though it sounded distant, like someone calling from the other end of a long tunnel.

"Harley!" the second cry was clearer, and Harley's vision grew less blurry. Squinting, he was able to see Quicksilver standing over him.

"Uhh…what happened?" His voice was a slurred mumble.

"Harley, it's me, Quicksilver!" She licked his face. "How are you feeling?"

"God, my head hurts…" Harley moaned. "What's going on?"

"You've been knocked out for two days." Cedar came into Harley's view. He looked very relieved. "We thought you might never wake up."

Suddenly, memories came flooding back to Harley, of the bear that had attacked them, him protecting Quicksilver, and then feeling claws come down on his head before everything went dark…

"Did we win?" he rasped.

"Yes, Cedar fought it off," Quicksilver told him. "And Thistle ripped out one of its claws. I don't think it will be back."

Harley lifted his head, and saw Thistle sitting next to Cedar. "Wow…you guys were great," he said.

Cedar blushed. "I didn't even know what I was doing. I just…acted."

"Your dad would be proud," Harley told him. "You saved me from a bear just as Tod did Copper."

"Heh, you're right..." Cedar smiled. "I did."

Quicksilver gently licked at the wounds on Harley's head. They were lying in the shade of the oaks, next to the fox burrows. The golden light of dusk filtered through the branches. Quicksilver stayed with Harley while Cedar and Thistle went hunting. They brought back a quail and a squirrel, which were both plump and juicy. Harley felt his strength return slightly as he ate. As the sun set, Harley fell asleep with Quicksilver curled around him. When he woke up, he found Cedar in her place.

"Huh?" Harley raised his head. "Where's Quicksilver?"

"She and Thistle went to do some more hunting, and scout the area for any more bears," said Cedar. "They'll be back soon."

Harley's head still hurt. He groaned and laid his head on Cedar's side. "I hope there aren't any. I don't want to see another bear for the rest of my life."

"Quicksilver was really worried about you," said Cedar. "She didn't leave your side when you were out."

"Well, I did save her life," Harley replied.

Cedar smirked.

"What?" Harley asked.

"Oh, nothing," said Cedar, looking off into the distance, the smirk still on his face.

"No, we're not…" Harley began, but then the others came back, and the conversation abruptly ended. Quicksilver and Thistle had caught a bit more prey. After they ate, Harley began feeling a bit better, and managed to stand up. He helped the others widen the burrows. Cedar and Thistle dug at them from the inside, while Harley and Quicksilver dug at the entrances. By late afternoon, the tunnels were big enough for Harley to stick his head and shoulders through.

"Man that was hard work," panted Cedar. He lay down and licked at his paws. It was a cool afternoon for summer, with a nice breeze blowing. A fluffy bunch of dandelion seeds floated lazily in the breeze above Cedar. The fox looked up at it, and then leapt about four feet in the air and snapped at it, but missed it by just an inch.

"Wow, nice jump!" Thistle complemented. He crouched down, gathering strength in his haunches, and tried to jump up at the seeds, but only reached about half the height Cedar had. The breeze died slightly, and it floated closer to the ground. Harley leaped up and playfully snapped at it, sending it back towards Cedar, who prepared himself to jump, but then Quicksilver went flying through the air, catching it in her teeth.

"Aww," Cedar gave a mock pout. "I wanted it."

Quicksilver threw it back up into the air, and they began jumping at it again, laughing and shoving each other playfully out of the way. Harley couldn't remember the last time he'd truly laughed, and he didn't think the others had laughed in a while either. He'd never seen Quicksilver look so playful and happy.

Their fun was interrupted when the breeze brought in a new scent. They froze, letting the dandelion spin high into the air and out of sight. An animal was slowly emerging from the shadows of the pines, slinking towards them.

"Who are you!?" Harley barked. "What do you want?"

"Calm down, dog." The creature had a deep, quiet voice. It stepped into the light, revealing itself. It was a fox, bigger and darker than Cedar. Its coat was a deep brown, instead of the usual red. A white blaze went up between his orange eyes, which glowed like hot coals.

"Who are you?" Cedar took a step back, obviously surprised to see one of his own suddenly appear.

"The name's Blaze." There was sort of an aloof tone to his voice, but at the same time serious. He stared at the three dogs standing next to Cedar. "I heard you all making a commotion, and I smelled hounds, so I hid. But then I saw you guys playing with another fox, so I assumed you weren't a threat after all and revealed myself. I have to say, seeing a fox hang with a couple of hounds is one of the strangest things I've ever seen." He narrowed his eyes.

"He's from a forest to the west," said Harley quickly. "It was being destroyed and we…we're strays with nowhere to go, so we went with him."

"We've united because we've realized we have a common enemy," Quicksilver growled. "Humans."

"Hmmm…" Blaze sat down, scratched himself, and tilted his head curiously. "I guess not all dogs are blindly loyal to humans."

"Not if they're abusive drunks," Quicksilver snapped. Thistle nodded in agreement.

"Anyways, I smelled another fox," said Blaze, swishing his tail in Cedar's direction. "I wanted to warn him that there's been an increase in hunting in this area."

"An _increase?_" Cedar's jaw dropped in horror. "We came here because we heard there's not as much hunting!"

Blaze shook his head. "There isn't. At least, not much fox hunting, because those furless bastards have hunted so many of them here. I think I'm one of the few left, if not the only one. I'm known as "the ghost fox" around here because I always mange to outwit hunters." He gave a small smirk.

"What are we supposed to do?" Harley demanded. "We went through hell and back to find this place, and we're not going to be driven out!"

"Cool it. I didn't say you had to leave." Blaze fixed the others with his orange gaze. "Listen, it seems to be one hunter in particular that has been going trigger-crazy lately. He's got a pack of six hounds, led by a tricolor male."

Cedar gasped. "I know that pack! They…they killed my father and sister…"

"That sounds like them. They're a bloodthirsty bunch of bastards." Blaze cocked his head again, staring hard at Cedar. "You look familiar, somehow."

"Huh?" Cedar also cocked his head.  
"Never mind," Blaze mumbled. "Anyways, they're a noisy bunch, always crashing around in the bushes. I can hear them long before I see them. If I do, I'll come by and alert y'all."

"Thank you," said Harley. "I'm Harley, by the way, and this is Thistle, Quicksilver, and Cedar." He pointed his nose at each of his friends.

"Do you want to join our pack?" Cedar offered. "We could use someone like you."

"Thanks, but I like to work solo," said Blaze. He got to his feet. "Anyways, see y'all around." And then, as quickly as he had appeared, he disappeared into the shadows.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The young vixen yawned and stretched. It was a lovely day, with a blue sky overhead and a nice breeze. She stood up from the shade of a tree, where she'd been sleeping. Smelling food, she trotted over to the bowl she ate from, a bell jingling from a leather collar around her neck. The vixen's home was the backyard of a small log cabin, encircled by a wooden fence. Her caretaker, an old hermit, lived in the cabin. She knew she was an unusual pet, as most humans seemed to view foxes as pests, but this old man seemed to have a soft spot for all creatures. He had numerous birdfeeders hung around his house and the tree in his yard, and there was a doe that would sometimes come up to his front porch and let him hand feed her. He lived at the edge of a pine forest, where no other humans bothered him.

The vixen looked in the bowl to find fresh bacon, which she wolfed down. The old man was always very kind to her—he'd found her just a few weeks ago, half dead, and had taken her home and nursed her back to health. The vixen couldn't remember what had happened to her or anything else prior to her rescue. Her head had hurt very much when she'd woken up, as if she'd hit her head on something. She knew she must have had a life in the wild before, but was too afraid to venture beyond the fence, knowing she wouldn't know where to go. She'd decided to stay with the hermit, where it was safe, until her memories came back. The vixen couldn't even remember her own name, though the man had been calling her "Little Missy."

The back door swung open, and the old man emerged, his stiff joints making him walk slowly. The vixen ran up to him, letting out a friendly, high-pitched bark.

"Hey, Little Missy," said the man, bending down to pet her head. "Did you enjoy your lunch? Good, good. I gotta run into town for a bit…I hate going there, but I gotta get some more bacon and eggs from the farmer's market. Lord knows I can't live without those. You stay here and be a good girl, okay? I'll be back later."

The vixen wove around his legs, and he petted her one last time before going back inside. The vixen curled up in a patch of sunlight, about to take another nap, when she heard a sound from behind the fence. She perked up her ears, then called out, "Blaze?"

A loose plank in the fence swung upward, and a dark head poked out through the space. "Hey there, miss," he greeted.

The vixen trotted over to the dark-furred fox that had squeezed his way through the fence. "How are you today?" she asked.

"Never been better," he said, licking a paw and washing his face. Blaze had been visiting her ever since she'd come to live with the hermit, having seen her from a distance one day and been curious about a fox living with a human. His voice always sounded casual and apathetic, but he always gave her a warm gaze that made her feel safe around him.

"I was just out in the woods and I saw the strangest thing." Blaze yawned and stretched, then curled up in the grass and looked up at the vixen with an affectionate smirk.

"Oh? What was it?" the vixen asked.

"I saw another fox. I know, surprising, right? I told you I was the last one in the forest. But that's not all. He was with three dogs."

"What!?" the vixen gasped. "Dogs? Were they big and scary?"

"Nah," Blaze replied. "One of them was a dinky little thing. Another was a pretty silver greyhound, and then there was a kind of dopey-looking hound. They were playing. When I approached them, they said they'd come from a forest to the west. Didn't you say you were from a forest to the west?"

"Um…I guess so," said the vixen. "I mean, that's where the old man found me."

"This fox looked kind of familiar to me," Blaze told her. "I couldn't figure out why, but then a little while later it hit me—he looked kind of like you, only male."

"Like me!?" the vixen exclaimed.

"I know you can't remember anything, but I thought I should mention him to you," said Blaze. "His name was Cedar. Sound familiar?"

"Cedar…Cedar…" the vixen thought hard. She didn't recognize that name, yet there was something funny about it, as if she should know it.

"He said that men had destroyed the forest to the west, and that hounds killed his father and sister," Blaze added.

"Oh…" the vixen's voice trailed off. "Oh…_oh!_" She was not prepared for what happened next. She crouched down in the grass, gasping as sort of an explosion took inside her head. It wasn't painful, but very overwhelming…images seemed to flash before her eyes, names and familiar cries echoing in her ears.

"Hey, are you okay!?" Blaze put his paws on her and shook, sounding very concerned. "Hey!"

"I…I'm fine." The vixen slowly sat up and looked at Blaze, her eyes wide. She trembled all over.

"What happened?" Blaze touched his nose to hers.

"Well I…I think my memories came back," the vixen stuttered. "I was in the woods with my father and brother, and hounds chased us…I fell into a river and got swept away…the old man must have pulled me out…oh my god, _Cedar!_ He's alive! But Dad…he's dead? No, it can't be true!" She began talking so fast Blaze couldn't understand her, and then let out a wail of grief. He gently licked her face, pressing into her. "It's alright," he soothed. "It's okay."

"No it's not!" the vixen sobbed. "My father is dead!"

"But you still have your brother." Blaze wrapped his tail protectively around her. "I can take you to see him, if you'd want."

"_See him?_ Oh…oh my…yes! Yes, I want to see him!" the vixen cried. She then paused, tears still streaking down her face, memories and a mixture of emotions whirling in her head and making her feel dizzy.

"Hey...hey…look at me." Blaze nuzzled her. "It's okay. I'll take you right now."

"Yes, but…what about the old man? He'll be worried if I leave."

"But you want to let your brother know you're alive, right?"

"Well…yes. Alright, I'll come with you."

The two foxes squeezed through the gap in the fence and headed for the woods.

"Oh, by the way, do you remember your name now?" Blaze asked.

"Oh…yes! It's Clover," the vixen replied.

"That's a pretty name. It fits you well." Blaze smiled at her.

Cedar and the dogs were by a stream near their burrows, perfecting the catching techniques Cedar had taught them. Thistle had fallen in, and was sitting in the stream, water dripping from his ears. The others were trying hard not to laugh.

"Oh yeah? You guys haven't caught anything either!" he snapped.

Suddenly, a clump of ferns on the other side of the stream rustled, and Blaze's head poked out.

"Yo," he said.

"Blaze? What's up?" Cedar's fur rose along his spine in anxiety.

"Nothing bad, you don't need to worry." Blaze leaped over the stream and landed beside the other fox. "I just saw something peculiar and thought you'd be interested."

"Huh?"

"Well, I just happened to be passing by this old hermit's house that's at the edge of the forest, and I saw something in the backyard. It was a fox."

"A fox!?" Cedar exclaimed. "I don't understand…what was a fox doing in a human's yard?"

"The old man's been keeping her as a pet. She's got a collar and everything." Blaze sat down and casually scratched himself once again. "But wait—it gets more interesting. So I talked to this vixen, and she said she's had amnesia for the past few weeks. The man found her passed out somewhere, and she couldn't remember what happened or who she was. Then I mentioned the woods to the west, and you, and she seemed to remember more about herself."

"Wait…" Cedar suddenly felt short of breath. _Could it be? No, it couldn't…, _he thought.

"Can you…can you take me to see this vixen?" Cedar choked out.

"Don't need to," said Blaze. "I brought her with me." He flicked his ears towards the clump of ferns, as if giving a signal. Cedar heard an odd jingling noise, and then, she emerged from the ferns. Cedar stared at the slim, bright-eyed vixen standing across the stream from him. He couldn't talk. He seemed to have lost his voice. He could only let out a shocked choking noise.

"Cedar…?" the vixen whispered. "Is it…is it really you?"

"…_Clover?_" Cedar gasped.

"CEDAR!" The vixen leaped over the stream and ran straight at Cedar, knocking him down on the ground in joy. "Cedar! It's you! You're alive!"

"Clover…how…what…" he tried to speak, but Clover wasn't listening. She had her forelegs wrapped around him in a hug, and wouldn't stop nuzzling him.

"Oh…Cedar…I got swept down the river…I hit my head on a rock and got amnesia, and an old man took me in, but then I met this fox, and when he mentioned you, I…I remembered you!" Clover stammered.

"Oh, Clover, I'm so sorry!" Cedar rubbed his head against his sister's. "I was supposed to be looking out for you…"

"No, Cedar, please don't blame yourself!" Clover smiled, happy tears dripping from her eyes. "We're together again. That's all that matters."

"So I'm guessing this is your sister?" The question came from Quicksilver.

"Yes." Clover let Cedar stand up, but the siblings were still touching pelts. "I thought she had drowned…"

"Cedar?" Clover stared at the dogs with wide, bewildered eyes. "Who are these?"

"It's okay, Clover. They're my friends." Cedar gave his sister a reassuring lick. "Meet Harley, Thistle, and Quicksilver. Harley saved me from a bear!"

"A _bear!?_" Clover cried.

"Cedar, I'd explain things more clearly if I were you," Blaze advised. Cedar suddenly remembered he was there.

"Thank you," he said his voice thick. "You found my sister. I don't know how I can repay you…"

"Don't bother," said Blaze. "I thought you'd looked familiar, but I couldn't figure out why. But then I remembered you said you had a sister. You and Clover have the same face and expressions."

"Wait…how do you two know each other?" Cedar looked back and forth between Clover and Blaze.

"Oh boy, lots of explaining to do," Blaze sighed, lying down in the grass and folding his forepaws over each other. "Well, basically, I'm a loner, but it's been kind of distressing being the last fox in this forest. So when I spotted this young lady a few weeks ago, I started talking to her. Does that help clear things up?"

Cedar couldn't help but notice a fond gentleness in Blaze's eyes as he looked at Clover.

"Thanks for taking care of her," said Cedar.

"No problem." Blaze got to his feet. "Well, now that you two are reunited, you better explain to your sister how you came to be friends with dogs."

"Wait, are you leaving, Blaze!?" Clover exclaimed.

"Yeah. I like you guys, but I've had enough socializing for one day. See ya." Blaze crouched down, ready to leap over the stream.

"Wait!" Clover cried. "You're just going to leave?"

"Clover, don't worry," he said, softening his voice. "I'll be checking in on you from time to time, as always." He winked at her, and then, as quickly as he had come, disappeared into the ferns.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"You really fought a bear?" Clover asked her brother. Everyone had gone back to the burrows, where Cedar had told Clover everything that had happened since they were separated.

"Yep, just like Dad!" said Cedar with a grin.

"So…is Dad really dead?" Clover's voice got very quiet, and she looked down at the ground. Cedar's grin disappeared.

"Yeah…he is," he said.

Clover sniffled. "I never got to tell him how much I loved him…"

"He knew exactly how much we loved him." Cedar touched his ear to his sister's. "He always said we were just like our mother."

Cedar and Clover grieved in silence for a few minutes, and then Cedar asked if Clover wanted to help him and Thistle widen the burrows. Meanwhile, Harley and Quicksilver went off to hunt.

"I'm so happy for Cedar," said Harley. "I can tell how much he missed Clover. He talked about her all the time!"

"It was lucky that Blaze found her," Quicksilver agreed. Then, she added more quietly, "And I'm glad you found me."

"Huh?" Harley stopped in his tracks.

"If it hadn't been for you, I'd still be stuck in the pound, lying in that miserable kennel and waiting to be put to sleep. I have a _life_ now!" Quicksilver smiled at him.

Harley smiled back, and then stiffened as he saw a chipmunk standing on a tree root a few yards away. It was nibbling an acorn and not paying attention to its surroundings. Slowly, he crept towards it, but accidentally stepped on a twig, making it snap loudly in half. Startled, the chipmunk looked up, dropped the acorn, and began scurrying up the trunk. Harley made a dive for the creature, but ended up banging his head on the trunk. He collapsed in a heap, groaning.

"Harley, are you okay!?" Quicksilver cried, hurrying to his side.

"Yeah…I just…didn't time that right," Harley groaned. Then he chuckled, and then Quicksilver burst out laughing. The two of them laughed together until they could hardly breathe.

For the next few weeks, everything went very well. The pack did not have any more encounters with bears, or humans. They finally finished renovating the burrows, so now two of them were accessible to the dogs. Harley and Quicksilver shared one chamber, Cedar and Clover shared another, and Thistle had his own. There was plenty of prey, and the weather was lovely. Now and then, Blaze would stop by to see how Clover was doing. Since the bell on her collar alerted prey, she'd removed it, but still kept it in her burrow, not wanting to forget the kind old man who had helped her.

One afternoon, Quicksilver asked Harley to go hunting with her. When they were deep in the woods, away from the others, Quicksilver stopped and turned to him.

"Harley, I've got something to tell you," she said.

"What's wrong?" Harley asked.

"Nothing's wrong." There was an odd twinkle in Quicksilver's eye. "But I want you to know this before anyone else."

"What do you mean?"

"Harley…I'm pregnant."

"Pr—pregnant?" Harley stuttered. "Are you sure?"

"I'm pretty certain. I've been gaining weight, even though I'm a light eater. And I'm giving off this scent I used to smell when other bitches at the racetrack were expecting."

"So…are the puppies…mine?"

"Who else's could they be?" Quicksilver gave a playful smirk.

"Oh…Quicksilver! This is wonderful!" Joy suddenly exploded in Harley's chest, and he nuzzled Quicksilver fiercely. "I—I can't believe it! You and me…we're going to be parents!"

"You will be a wonderful father," Quicksilver murmured in his ear.

Their happy moment was suddenly cut short when something came flying out of the bushes. They whirled around to see Blaze standing before them, panting heavily. Blood was pouring down one of his forelegs.

"Blaze? What happened!?" Harley cried.

"Hounds…they're…after me…headed this way…you all…need to hide…"


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Clover yawned, sticking her head out of the entrance to her burrow after a nap. She'd been oddly sleepy lately. She went to join Cedar and Thistle, who were chatting outside.

"Where are Harley and Quicksilver?" she asked.

"They're out hunting," Thistle replied.

"They're probably doing more than just that," Cedar said with a grin.

Thistle tilted his head in confusion. "Huh?"

"Never mind," said Cedar. "Speak of the devils, I smell them coming back."

The sound of dashing paws came to their ears, and then all of a sudden, Harley, Quicksilver, and Blaze came skidding into the clearing.

"Blaze? What's wrong!?" Clover cried. "Oh my god, you're bleeding!"

"There are hounds heading this way!" Blaze explained between gasps. "It's them—the ones that killed your father. You all need to hide in the burrows while I try to lead them away!"

"Wait…Blaze, what are you saying!?" Clover cried.

"I've tried to divert them already…one of them bit me…" he winced in pain, blood continuing to drip from his leg onto the ground.

"Blaze, you're hurt! You can't do this alone!" Cedar cried.

"No! You all need to stay here and keep Clover safe!" Blaze snapped.

"Why can't I help you, Blaze?" Clover demanded. "I owe you one after reuniting me with Cedar."

"You _know_ why! You're expecting my kits!" Blaze cried.

Everyone fell silent at this sudden announcement, turning their heads to Clover, who looked at the ground in embarrassment.

"Sorry babe," Blaze apologized. "I know I should have let you tell everyone, but we're sort of in an urgent situation right now."

"Whoa, sis, you're really pregnant!?" Cedar exclaimed.

Clover gave a tiny nod. "Sorry for not saying anything," she said. "I just wanted to make sure I was before telling everyone."

"That makes two of us," said Quicksilver.

"Wait, _what!?_" Thistle's jaw dropped all the way. "You're _both_ pregnant?"

"Wow, way to go, Harley!" Cedar gave his friend's shoulder a playful shove. "And I'm going to be an uncle!"

"Um, I hate to interrupt this happy moment, but we're sort of _being tracked by fucking hounds!_" Blaze yelled. "Excuse my language, but you all need to get the hell into your burrows!"

"Wait, Blaze," said Harley. "Let me go with you. I've fought off another pack before."

"I'll go too," said Quicksilver.

"No, you won't!" Harley glared at her. "You're pregnant! It's too risky!"

"I'm not nearly as far along as Clover. I'll be fine!" Quicksilver snapped. "I'm not just going to sit here and do nothing."

Harley sighed. "Alright. Quicksilver and I will go. Blaze, you stay here."

Blaze narrowed his eyes. "Don't tell me what to do. I've outwitted those stupid hounds countless times."

"Don't be stupid! You're injured!" Harley barked.

"Blaze, I'll go." Cedar stepped up to Harley's side. "You stay here and take care of Clover." His eyes darkened. "I've been wanting to take a chunk out of one of those dogs after what they did to my father."

"You're too inexperienced!" Blaze snarled in Cedar's face.

"_Inexperienced?_ Dude, I fought off a _bear!_" Cedar snarled back.

"Stop it!" Clover shoved her way in between them. "Stop arguing, both of you!" She looked sadly at Blaze. "Blaze, please…stay here. You've done all you can. They'll take care of the rest."

Blaze held Clover's gaze for a long moment, and then let out a deep sigh.

"Alright. I guess I need you around to make sure I don't do anything stupid." He chuckled slightly.

"Blaze and Thistle, get underground with Clover," Harley ordered. "Thistle, if they come here, you let out a howl to alert us, okay?"

"Yes, Harley." Thistle nodded.

Clover touched her nose to Cedar's. "Be careful," she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Don't worry, Clover. I promise I'll come back," Cedar licked her cheek.

Everyone froze as the deep bay of a hound echoed in the distance.

"You better get going," said Blaze. "You all can run fast, right?"

"Um, _duh!_" was Quicksilver's response. "I'm a freaking greyhound!"

With that, she, Harley, and Cedar took off into the trees.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"We're getting close!" Quicksilver panted. They could clearly hear the barks and howls of the hunting pack now, and smell their scents.

"What's the plan!?" Cedar asked.

"I don't know!" Harley barked. "We'll just have to make it up as we go along! Quick, get behind that big boulder!"

The three of them crouched behind a huge mound of stone and quietly waited. The barking stopped, and was replaced with the sound of snuffling nearby. Harley peered around the boulder slightly, and saw a pointer and a bluetick coonhound sniffing the ground just a few feet away.

"Quicksilver, follow me the count of three." Harley's voice was barely even a whisper. "One…two…three!"

The two dogs leaped out from behind the boulder and snarled at the hounds, who perked up their ears and charged at them, barking. Quicksilver darted out of the way and kicked the pointer in the side, sending him flying into a clump of bushes. Harley grabbed the coonhound by the back of the neck and flung him over on his back, knocking the breath out of him.

More barking was heard in the distance, and suddenly a redbone coonhound came bursting out of the foliage.

"Hey, ugly! Over here!" Cedar jumped out from behind the boulder and went streaking through the trees.

"What did you just call me, you little varmint!?" the dog had a female voice. She ran after Cedar, barking at the top of her lungs. The pointer had gotten to his feet, and was following the female, but Quicksilver dived in front of him and slashed him across the face with her fangs. He howled and went running back the way he'd come. Harley was tussling with the bluetick coonhound, who'd grabbed one of Harley's legs in his jaws and refused to let go. Harley kicked him hard in the stomach, and his opponent let out a grunt. While he was stunned, Harley wriggled free and then slammed the dog back down on the ground again.

"Had enough?" he snarled in the bluetick's face. The dog whimpered. Harley let him go, and he ran off, tail tucked between his legs.

Harley panted, already bleeding from several places. He licked where the other dog had bitten him on the leg.

"There's six dogs in total, right?" Quicksilver asked.

"Right. We're far from finished," Harley replied as more barks boomed in the distance.

Clover hunkered down in her burrow, pressed close to Blaze and licking his injured leg. Thistle was by the entrance, listening for the hounds.

"I'm scared," she whispered in her mate's ear.

"You're fine." Blaze licked her. "I won't let anything bad happen to you."

Suddenly, Thistle let out a ferocious snarl.

"Get out of our territory!" There was a surprised yelp, as if Thistle had just attacked someone. Clover shivered.

"Stay here," Blaze ordered, dashing to the tunnel that led out.

"Blaze—wait!" Clover cried. But Blaze ignored her. He leapt out of the burrow to see Thistle clashing with a beagle. The hound had him by the throat and was shaking him around. Blaze lunged at the dog teeth bared, and sank his teeth into the dog's shoulder. The beagle howled and threw Thistle off. Blaze let go and then began to run in circles around the dog, trying to confuse it. The dazed beagle took a step back, and then turned around and darted into the burrow. Thistle tried to block him, but he was knocked out of the way.

"NO!" Blaze yelled. Suddenly, a horrible scream came from underground, and tears formed in Blaze's eyes. He'd tried so hard to protect Clover, but he'd failed her…

The beagle came running backwards out of the tunnel. As it turned around, Blaze saw that half its face was covered in blood. Its right eye was closed tightly, the eyelid reduced to tattered flesh. Clover had bitten the eye out.

"Way to go, Clover!" Blaze cried. Unfortunately, his amazement distracted him, and he didn't see the beagle flinging itself at him until too late. The dog grabbed him by the neck and bit down, shaking him angrily. Blaze heard and felt something snap in his neck, and he suddenly grew cold. The last thing he heard before his vision went black was Clover screaming his name.

"I hear two more coming," Harley whispered to Quicksilver. They were crouched behind the boulder. He looked in the direction Cedar had run.

_Cedar, please be okay,_ he silently prayed.

Heavy paws pounded across the forest floor in their direction, and one of the dogs let out an ear-splitting howl. Harley nodded to Quicksilver, and they jumped out to face their attackers.

"Whoa!" Harley skidded to a halt and stared at the two dogs in front of them. One of them was a blackmouth cur, and the other a black hound with a tan muzzle and paws. Its underside was white, along with the tip of its tail. It snarled savagely, but then stopped, eyes growing wide with shock at the sight of Harley.

"Harley…what's going on?" Quicksilver cried.

"What the hell? _Harley?_" the tricolored hound spoke.

Harley turned to Quicksilver and said, "This…this dog…he's my brother."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"Riker, is it…really you?" Harley stammered.

"Yeah, it's me. What the hell are you doing here?" Riker narrowed his dark eyes.

"I could ask you the same thing," said Harley.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm hunting!" Riker snapped. He didn't seem very happy to see Harley. "I'm leader of a pack now. Our master set us after a troublesome fox, but so far two of us have fled with wounds that seem too big for a fox to make. Did _you_ attack them?"

"Riker, you have to stop!" Harley yelped. "That fox is my friend!"

"_WHAT!?_" Riker stared at Harley as if his brother had suddenly given birth to a turtle.

"This is my mate, Quicksilver." Harley nodded at her. "We're part of a pack that includes dogs and foxes. I know, it sounds strange…but one of the foxes saved my life…"

"What is this bullshit!?" Riker snapped. He took a step closer to Harley, curling his lip and growling. "_Wow_, Harley. _Wow._ I knew you were too soft to become a hunting dog, but making friends with foxes? You're more pathetic than I thought."

"Riker, please, listen to me!" Harley begged. "You're my brother!"

"If our parents knew you were protecting foxes, they'd disown you right away!" Riker snarled.

"That's not true! Dad told me he was friends with a fox when he was a pup!" Harley cried.

"_LIAR!_" Riker roared. "I don't know what made you turn against our family, Harley, but from here on out, you're no longer my brother. You're my prey." He bared his teeth. The blackmouth cur behind him stepped up to his side, also snarling.

"I tried to talk sense into you, Riker, but you leave me no choice!" Harley leapt at Riker and attempted to knock him over. But his brother had grown much stronger than he had. In a split second, Riker had grabbed him by the throat and pinned him to the ground.

"_Get off of him!_" Quicksilver flew at Riker, and he toppled off of Harley, but quickly regained his footing and grabbed Quicksilver's neck, throwing her into the air. She crashed down to the ground, and the blackmouth cur jumped on her.

"Kill her, Monty!" Riker ordered, pinning Harley down again.

"NO!" Harley struggled under his brother, trying to get at Monty, the blackmouth cur, as sank his teeth into his mate's throat. Suddenly, Quicksilver jabbed her hind feet up into his crotch, and he let go of her, gasping in pain. She slid out from under him and slashed at his face. The two dogs went crazy, their fangs flashing as they fought.

"Come on, Monty! Rip that bitch apart!" Riker called to friend.

"_You_ _bastard!_" Rage surged through Harley, giving him the strength to throw Riker off. He jumped to his feet and said, "Fight me like a real male!"

The two brothers stood up on their hind legs, paws on each other's shoulders, and tore into each other. Riker's fangs scored across Harley's face, sending blood spraying everywhere. In retaliation, Harley slashed at Riker's shoulder. Riker grabbed him by one of the folds in his neck, and shook. Black dots danced at the edges of Harley's vision, but he refused to black out. He grabbed Riker's throat as well, and both dogs went rolling across the ground, biting and scratching at every bit of each other they could get. Out of the corner of Harley's vision, he saw Quicksilver dart around Monty, and swiftly bite off his tail. The blackmouth cur howled in pain. Seeing his mate's victory encouraged Harley, and he grabbed Riker by the back of the neck and pinned him down.

All four dogs were bleeding heavily and were exhausted. Riker gasped for breath under Harley's paws.

"Leave now, and we'll let you live," Harley growled.

Riker let out an ugly laugh. "No," he snarled, blood bubbling in his nostrils. "We're not leaving until we find that fox…I mean, _foxes._"

Right as he said that, a high-pitched scream came from the distance. Harley cried out in horror. Who had made that noise? An ugly smirk crossed Riker's face. "Sounds like one of your buddies just bit the dust."

"How could you?" Harley whispered. "Riker, you're my brother…"

"I don't care!" Riker lunged upward at Harley's throat, causing the other hound to leap backwards. Riker slammed his body into Harley's, knocking him against the large boulder. Harley lay on the ground, dazed, as Riker and Monty took off into the forest.

"Harley! Harley, come on, get up!" Quicksilver was nudging Harley with her head. She helped him to his feet. His entire body was wracked with pain, blood still freely flowing from his wounds.

"Come on, we can't let them get to the burrows!" They charged after the hunters, running as fast as they could in their condition. They followed them through an area where the trees were thinned out, and there was a rocky ledge extending about ten feet down the mountain. Harley's strength was quickly sapping away, and his vision was blurry. He could just see Riker and Monty ahead of them. Suddenly, Monty turned back towards him and sprang between Harley and Quicksilver, snarling. He grabbed Harley by the collar, and Harley spun around, trying to free himself, and his hind feet nearly slid off the edge of the small cliff, sending several pebbles downward. With a nasty smile, Monty pushed Harley towards the edge, but not before the hound mix grabbed _his_ collar as well. The next thing Harley knew, he and Monty were falling through the air, still holding on to each other. Harley let go, just as the ground came up to meet him, and he slammed down head first. Everything went black.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"Blaze…oh Blaze…" Clover was moaning and crouched over Blaze, who lay still in the dirt. A large gash was torn in the fox's throat, and his eyes were clouded over, staring blankly up at the sky.

"Come on, wake up," Clover sobbed, nudging him with her nose. "_Wake up!_"

"Clover." Thistle put a comforting paw on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, but he's gone." Right after the beagle had snapped Blaze's neck Thistle had lunged at him and nearly torn half his face off, sending him running. But it had been too late to do anything for Blaze.

"Blaze!" Clover wailed. "You can't leave! What about our kits? They can't grow up not knowing their father!" She let out a high-pitched howl, tears streaming down her face.

Thistle turned his head as someone came running into the clearing. It was Quicksilver, covered in blood and breathing heavily.

"Quicksilver! What happened!?" Thistle cried. "Where's Harley and Cedar!?"

"I…I don't know!" Quicksilver sat down. "We ran into the other dogs…and…one of them was Harley's brother…he tried to reason with him, but it was no use…we fought them…then Harley and another dog fell off a cliff…I chased Riker a good way, but then there was a whistling noise, and he left…it must have been his master…I went back to look over the cliff…Harley was gone…I don't know where Cedar is…"

Thistle came over and leaned against her shaking body, giving her support. Quicksilver lifted her head and suddenly gasped when she saw Blaze's dead body.

"One of the hounds came up here," said Thistle grimly.

Quicksilver collapsed on her stomach, and began to sob hysterically. Clover slowly stood up and came over, and then curled around the exhausted, hurt dog. The two of them cried into each other's fur.

Cedar ran through the forest, his sharp senses navigating him as twilight approached and the shadows grew long and dark. He'd lost the dog he'd led away long ago, but now and then, he'd hear a bark or a howl not too far off. The pack was after him. He hoped that wherever the others were, they were safe.

Suddenly, a large figure leaped out from a clump of gorse in front of him, and Cedar skidded to a halt. The leader of the pack was snarling in his face, his face a frightening mask of fangs and blood. Cedar whirled around to run away, but four other dogs sprang out of their hiding spaces, blocking his escape. One of them, a beagle, had a ruined eye, and his face was smeared with dried blood.

"Not so clever after all, eh, fox?" The pack leader's foul breath washed over Cedar. "We have some stealth techniques of our own."

Cedar hissed and bared his fangs. "Have you hurt anybody!?" he demanded.

"We ran into two of your little friends." The pack leader grinned with satisfaction. "We beat them up pretty badly. One of them fell off a cliff and dragged our friend Monty with him. I'm pretty sure he's dead, so we'll just have to take our anger out on you."

"WHAT?" Cedar cried. His heart pounded. No, no, it couldn't be true…Harley couldn't be dead…

"Yeah, and a little fox bitch bit out my eye!" the beagle snapped. Cedar felt a sense of amazed pride wash over him as he realized Clover must have been the one to do that.

"I'm going to get you back for calling me ugly!" snarled the redbone coonhound.

"Do what you want with me," said Cedar. "But leave my pack alone."

"You all deserve to die, you stinking fox!" the pack leader barked. "Those dogs you hang with are traitors, protecting varmints like you! Harley is a disgrace to his family!"

"Wait…you know Harley!?" Cedar was confused.

"Yeah, I'm his brother, unfortunately. What a worthless little shit. I knew he'd never become a hunting dog," the pack leader growled.

"_Don't talk about Harley like that!_" Cedar leaped up at the leader, snapping at his throat. The hound dodged and then grabbed Cedar, pinning him down on his back.

"That's big talk for a weakling like you," he sneered.

"Time to teach you a lesson, fox!" The female dog let out a laugh. "Pests like you don't deserve to live!"

Harley groaned, raising his head and trying to make sense of his surroundings. Night had fallen, and everything was silent, save for a few crickets chirping. He spotted Monty lying a few feet away, his eyes open and staring, and blood trickling on his head, which had hit a large rock. Harley forced himself to get to his feet, moaning with the effort. Every one of his muscles was sore and stiff. He was still dazed from his fall, and he staggered sideways as he walked.

"Quicksilver!?" he called. There was no sign of his mate. His heart froze with dread.

_Where is everybody? How long was I out? _

"Cedar!?" he called for his friend, but again, there was no reply. He limped along, calling for his pack mates.

"Quicksilver! Cedar! Thistle! _Anyone!_" he howled. Suddenly, a faint scent came to his nostrils.

"Cedar!" he gasped. Harley followed the scent, his legs wobbling. He pushed on, even though his muscles cried out for a rest with each step. Eventually, the scent grew stronger, and he wagged his tail.

"Cedar!?" he called. Still no answer. He hobbled along further, and then, another scent came to his nose, one that made him go ice cold. Harley smelled blood…a _lot_ of blood.

"_Cedar!_" His fear enabled him to pick up his pace to a slow, awkward run. The blood scent grew stronger, overwhelming the scent of Cedar. He turned into a small clearing, where the moonlight revealed dark red splashes all over the nearby bushes and grass. Harley tripped over something, and fell down. He forced himself back up again, but sank down on his haunches when he saw what he'd tripped over.

"No…" Harley's moan was barely audible. "Oh no…no…"

An animal lay in the midst of the blood, its pelt shredded and covered in large, gaping wounds. Clumps of fur were strewn everywhere, soaked with gore. The body was barely recognizable, but Harley knew who it was.

"Cedar," he choked. "Oh…oh Cedar…"

"Harley?" The hound jumped as he heard his name whispered. He crouched down, looking straight into Cedar's face. The fox had opened one eye just a crack.

"Hey, hey! Cedar, it's okay!" Harley nuzzled his friend's cheek. "I'll take you back! We'll take care of you, patch you up…"

"Har…ley…I…I'm sorry…" Cedar's voice was barely even a whisper. "Tell Clover…I'm sor…ry…take care of…kits…" a gurgling noise came from the fox's throat, and then he spoke no more.

"Cedar? Cedar!?" Harley nosed at him. "Cedar, wake up! Come on! Say something!"

Cedar did not respond. His body had already grown stiff. What was left of his fur was cold.

"_CEDAR!_" Harley howled to the sky. He howled long and hard, tears pouring down his face, until he was hoarse. He sobbed, nuzzling Cedar's mangled body. He looked much smaller than usual with his fur torn off, like a helpless kit.

"Oh Cedar…Cedar…" he wailed. He lay there and cried until the sky was tinged pink with dawn. That was when his mind began to fully function again, and he realized who must have done this…

"_RIKER!_" Harley startled himself with the unearthly roar that rose from his throat. He found himself charging through the forest, slobber flying from his jowls, not even knowing where he was going. He only knew rage.

"RIKER, YOU COWARD! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" he howled.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"Did you hear that?" Thistle cringed as another howl sounded off in the distance. Though this one sounded different. It was eerily low and prolonged…a howl of pure rage.

"Harley." Quicksilver, who had been drifting in and out of a troubled sleep, lifted her head. Her eyes grew wide. "I know it's him." She got to her feet.

"Hey, Quicksilver!" Thistle cried. "You need to rest! You're wounded…"

"I'm going to find my mate." Quicksilver glared at him. "Stay here and be useless if you want."

Suddenly, Clover doubled over and gasped.

"Clover? What's wrong!?" Quicksilver cried.

"Oh…oh no…I think the kits are coming…" Clover groaned.

"_Now?_" Quicksilver snapped. "Now, out of all times? And isn't it a bit early for them be coming?"

"I guess…all this stress…did something…" Clover gasped.

Quicksilver let out an exasperated sigh. Finding Harley would just have to wait.

"Thistle, help me get her underground!" She and Thistle supported Clover on each side, helping her into her burrow.

Harley called for Riker over and over again, challenging him, daring him to face him. In his fury, Harley completely forgot that Riker was his brother. He was going to rip that hound to shreds if it was the last thing he…

Suddenly, he appeared. Riker leaped out of the bushes, facing Harley dead on. His wounds were dressed in bandages, indicating that his owner had tried to patch him up.

"You called?"

"You _murderer._" Harley's voice was flat and cold. "You killed my best friend. And now I'm going to kill you."

Riker threw back his head laughing.

"_You_, kill _me?_ I'd like to see you try." He gave Harley a cold glare. "Alright, bro. If you want a fight, you've got one. I'll try to be fair, but trust me, it'll be a waste of time if you're trying to avenge that stupid fox. Come at me."

And Harley did. The two brothers tore and slashed at each other, trying to get at each other's throats. Harley tore off all of Riker's bandages and reopened every wound with his teeth, making them spray new blood. Riker didn't even seem to care. Riker furiously grabbed Harley by the collar and slammed him into the ground.

"You idiot," Riker snarled, digging his claws into Harley's pelt. "You're not fighting like you did last night, you're just wildly slashing at me. You're letting your rage blind you."

Harley kicked and struggled under Riker.

"Alright, I'm sore, and tired of fighting. I'll finish you off quickly." Riker's voice became oddly calm, with a slight tinge of sadness. "I'd rather not kill my own kin, but you leave me no choice. Go be with your fox buddy in heaven." He lowered his head to deliver a killing bite to Harley's throat, but all of a sudden, two bodies flew from the air and knocked Riker off Harley. He looked up in astonishment to see two dogs he didn't recognize pinning Riker to the ground. One was a weimeraner and the other was a saluki. Suddenly, the weimeraner came over and held Harley down while the saluki grappled with Riker.

"Damn it, who are you!?" Riker demanded.

"What are you doing on our boss's territory?" the saluki snarled, bearing his teeth.

"Your _boss?_ Who the hell is that?" Riker snarled. "Can't you see I'm busy dealing with a personal matter here?"

"You are intruding!" the weimeraner snapped. "No one comes into Zephyr's territory without his permission!"

Harley was desperately trying to kick the weimeraner off him, but his injuries had greatly weakened him. Riker couldn't seem to be able to shake off the saluki either.

"What kind of dogs are you?" Harley barked. "You don't interrupt a personal fight!"

"You are disturbing the peace!" the saluki growled. "We are going to take you little shits straight to Zephyr and see what he has to say about this."

"_Who the hell is Zephyr?_" Riker bellowed.

"He's our boss." The saluki said it in sort of a proud way, holding his head up high. "We're his top-ranked officers and personal guards."

"That's nice and all, but why should we care?" Harley asked.

"Because Zephyr rules this forest. Haven't you heard of him?" The weimeraner shook his head. "Never mind. Let's haul these sorry punks away already, Ari."

Harley and Riker were hauled to their feet, and half-dragged across the grass. Riker lashed out at Ari the saluki, trying to rip at his face.

"Whoa, I'm gonna need some help with this one!" said Ari. "Hey, Brutus! We picked up a couple of thugs! Can you help us out?"

A large Akita came into view, several scars appearing through his shaggy coat. He raised a huge paw and knocked Riker hard across the head. The hound fell unconscious. Brutus carried him on his back while Ari and the weimeraner flanked Harley, who'd given up on escape. His rage had died down into fear and confusion.

_What the hell is going on?_ He thought frantically.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Harley and Riker were dragged about a mile through the forest until they reached the base steep, stony slope. A rumbling could be heard not too far off—Harley guessed it was a waterfall. He was made to trudge up the slope, and the roaring grew louder as they ascended. Harley felt tiny droplets of water flying through the air and hitting him, as if the waterfall was very close. The slope leveled off at a small grassy area, rimmed with thorn bushes. To the left was a rocky wall with a small dark cave in the middle, and to the right was another slope, a lot less steep, that lead down to a large clearing.

Ari approached the entrance to the cave. "Boss, we caught two mutts straying into the territory. They were beating each other up, and they seem to be good fighters. You could use them."

A moment later, a massive, shaggy dog stepped out from the cave. Harley had never seen a dog so big—he wasn't even sure it _was_ a dog. It looked more like a small bear. It was black and pale brown, with jaws so huge they could probably crush a normal-sized dog's head in one bite. It lumbered over to them, revealing several large, ugly scars across its face.

"Who are you?" The dog's voice was deep and cold. Just listening to it made Harley shiver. The dog's amber eyes glittered as he repeated, "I said, who are you?"

"I…I'm Harley…that over there is my brother Riker. Who are _you?_"

"My name is Zephyr, Wolfdog of the North." His amber eyes narrowed into burning slits, his voice still icy and emotionless. "I rule the entire northern half of this forest. I am surprised you have not heard of me."

"A…wolfdog!?" Harley gasped.

"I am half wolf and half dog. Everything around here—every tree, every blade of grass, even all the animals, belong to me. I decide whether every living thing here lives or dies." Harley shivered again as Zephyr leaned closer to him. "Ari told me you were good at fighting, so I will let you live. But you will not be leaving here. From now on, you belong to me. If you try to resist or escape, I will kill you immediately."

He turned to his henchmen. "Put them in the prisoner's pit. Give them food and water. If they try to escape, you know what to do." Zephyr headed back to his cave.

Harley and Riker were forced down the slope towards the clearing. A few other dogs stared at them from a distance as the prisoners were dragged through a clump of thorn bushes that lined a muddy ditch, about five feet deep. Harley and Riker were hastily thrown to the bottom. A few moments later, their captors threw down some soaked moss and a dead dove. Harley lapped at the wet moss, suddenly realizing how thirsty he was.

"What do we have here?" A pointed head was looking over the edge of the ditch. It was a bull terrier, with glinting eyes and a shark-like grin. "New prisoners? Did Zephyr say I could torture them if they try to escape?"

"You're a sick bastard, Ajax," Harley heard Brutus say.

"Well I don't see _you_ giving them a warm welcome," the bull terrier retorted. "Whoa, they're really beat up. Did you guys do that?"

"No, they did that to each other," said Ari's voice. "They were fighting when I found them. Zephyr wants them as soldiers."

"They're pretty sorry looking soldiers to me." Ajax gave another creepy grin. "If you try to escape, then I'm going to have _lots_ of fun with you."

"I'd like to see you try!" Riker called up to him.

Harley let out a miserable sigh and closed his eyes. The sun beat down on him and the mud soaked through his coat. He was in so much pain he wanted to die. He lay there for a while, until a scrabbling noise made him open his eyes. Riker was attempting to climb the wall of the ditch. He managed to get up a few feet, but lost his footing, stumbling back down.

"Don't even bother," Harley murmured. "We're both too weak to get out."

Riker ignored him, attempting to climb up again, but slid down once more. Harley didn't even care about getting revenge on his brother anymore. Killing him wouldn't bring Cedar back. Riker was most likely going to die anyways. He'd never submit himself to this pack, and he'd end up getting torn to shreds. Harley was just going to lie here and refuse food.

_I'm so sorry, Quicksilver…and our pups…_

The thought of the pups suddenly awakened something in Harley. He lifted his head, having a vision of Quicksilver, sitting in their den all alone, tears running down her long silver face as she licking her newborn pups, whispering, "I wish you were here, Harley."

"No!" Harley growled out loud. "No! I won't let my pups grow up without their father!"

He stood up, and charged straight at the wall of the ditch, digging his claws in and forcing himself to climb, ignoring the pain that shot through his wounded body. He scrambled up the five-foot mound of mud, and placed his paws on the edge, dragging himself up and over it. Harley collapsed in the grass, panting.

"Hey, one of them got out!" The weimeraner came charging through the bushes at Harley and grabbed him by the collar. He was about to throw Harley back into the ditch, when all of a sudden, a black and tan blur came flying up and knocked into the weimeraner. Harley got to his feet and saw, with amazement, Riker wrestling with the other dog.

"Grayson, what's going on!?" Ari and Brutus had appeared.

"Help me!" the weimeraner cried. Before they could act, Harley grabbed Ari by the neck and threw the saluki down into the ditch. Riker threw Grayson in after him, and the two of them faced Brutus together. The Akita was much stronger than his companions, but not terribly fast. Harley and Riker swiftly darted around him and raked their fangs across his flanks, then leapt through the thorn bushes.

"THEY'RE ESCAPING!" Brutus howled as the brothers made their way up the slope. Suddenly, Ajax leapt into their path, blocking them.

"Going somewhere?" he said in a slimy voice, giving another shark-like grin. "I don't think so."

Harley and Riker gave each other a brief glance and nodded. Even after all that had happened last night, they knew they'd have to work together to escape. Riker flew at Ajax, who opened his jaws, but at the last moment, Riker twisted around and kicked the bull terrier hard in the chest. He reared up on his hind legs, giving the hounds a brief moment to dart around him. Ajax chased after them, cursing and barking out threats, but they kept going, until they reached the area where Zephyr's den was. Beyond it was a narrow path that seemed to lead up to where the waterfall was. But there was a problem—Zephyr was standing right before it.

"Shit!" Harley skidded to a halt. _How are we supposed to fight him?_ But that didn't stop Riker. He charged right at the wolfdog.

"He'll kill you, you idiot!"Harley cried. To his horror, Zephyr brought his brother straight down to the ground with a swipe of his paw, and gripped his throat in his teeth almost effortlessly. Riker struggled, yelling wordlessly as his air supply was cut off. Ajax came up behind Harley and slammed the hound into the rock wall, pinning him there.

"You're pretty damn stupid if you thought you could get away!" Ajax laughed. Harley looked over at Riker, who was now hanging limply from Zephyr's jaws, his eyes closed. The wolfdog set him down on the ground.

"No!" he cried.

"Sorry, looks like your buddy's dead. But I'll make sure you don't go as quickly as he did!" Ajax bit down on Harley's spine, making him howl. As he did, Riker suddenly sprang to his feet and whirled around, ripping out a clump of fur from Zephyr's chest and then a chunk of flesh. The surprised wolfdog let out a throaty cry. Startled, Ajax loosened his grip on Harley, who flung him off and followed Riker up the narrow path towards the waterfall. They could see that they were standing on the very edge of a riverbank, where the water fell several feet straight to the water below.

"We'll have to jump!" Harley tried to bark over the roaring water, but he was drowned out. But Riker seemed to understand. Before they could jump, though, Zephyr came hurtling out of the mist, jaws outstretched towards Harley. As quick as a snake, Riker jumped in front of his brother, and Zephyr struck him instead. His scream rang out above the roaring waters, and a gush of blood sprayed up from his throat. Zephyr threw him aside, and went for Harley. The hound darted around the wolfdog, grabbed his brother, and then sprang into the air, over the edge of the waterfall.

Harley let out an involuntary cry of terror as his body plummeted through the air. Wind rushed in his ear, and the water below was rising up meet him very, very quickly…just before he hit it he saw Riker's body falling next to his. Blood spurted from a huge, ragged hole in his brother's throat, and his eyes were wide open, but not seeing. Both dogs fell beneath the white, foamy water below. Harley flailed his limbs around, trying to get a sense of direction as the current spun him around. Bubbles blocked his entire vision, and his body was swept into the current, banging him against the stony riverbed. He saw the dark shape of Riker's body floating past him, his blood trailing in cloudy streams. Harley kicked up from the riverbed and swam upwards, grabbed Riker, and pushed his head above the surface, gasping for air. The river tossed the two dogs around, slamming them against a boulder and then sending them back underwater. Harley's body spun through the current, but he still held on to Riker. He waited until he floated into an area where the current was slightly weaker, and he kicked upward, breaking through the water once again. He struggled for the riverbank, fighting the current with every ounce of his strength. There was a tree with low-hanging branches just up ahead. Harley reached out as he approached it and grasped a branch between his forelegs. With a mighty heave, he threw Riker's body upon the shore, then grabbed the branch in his teeth and pulled himself up out of the river.

Harley collapsed next to his brother's body, coughing up water and gagging, and then collapsed, sobbing.

"Riker, I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" he moaned before drifting off into unconsciousness.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"Harley? _Harley!_" Someone was jabbing at him with a paw, yelling frantically. "Harley, please, wake up!"

Harley opened his eyes, seeing a blurry gray shape above him. It slowly came into focus.

"Quicksilver?" he whispered.

"Oh god…Harley, what happened?" The greyhound covered his face in licks. "Did you…did you kill Riker?"

"No," Harley groaned. "It was…another dog…there's a pack…up the river…captured us, wouldn't let us go…we got free…leader tried to kill me…Riker jumped between us…" He let out a fresh sob. "Quicksilver, Cedar's dead too!"

"I know," she replied grimly. "I found his body while searching for you. Blaze was killed, too."

Harley cried harder, and Quicksilver gently wrapped her forelegs around him, talking to him soothingly as he cried into her chest.

"I'm so sorry, Harley…I would have gone looking for you sooner…but Clover was so frightened that she went into early labor. Her kits are okay, though. I helped deliver them." She gently licked him as he let all his tears out. "It's going to be okay, Harley. I'll always love you. And our pups will love you too," she whispered in his ear.

After a long while, they got up and headed home. Harley kept his head on Quicksilver's shoulder as they walked, dragging Riker's body. After what seemed like eternity, they reached the burrows.

"Harley!" Thistle poked his head out of one of the holes and ran over to them. He stopped and stared at Riker's body. "What…"

"Long story. Don't wanna explain," Harley mumbled. "Help us dig him a grave."

They buried Riker next to where Thistle had dug a shallow grave for Blaze. Harley swayed from side to side with exhaustion and grief when they were done. Quicksilver tried to get him to lie down in his den, but he refused. They had more digging to do. Harley and Quicksilver went and retrieved Cedar's body while Thistle stayed behind to break the sad news to Clover. When they came back, Thistle was sitting outside Clover's den, silently crying.

"She's devastated," he whispered. "I hope she can still feed her kits…oh god, Cedar!" He cried out loud when he saw the fox's mangled body. "Oh…why did this have to happen?"

"He gave his life so his sister's kits would live," Quicksilver murmured. "And so we could all live in peace." She looked down at her belly, which was steadily growing rounder.

They buried Cedar on the other side of Blaze, and then stood back and looked at the three graves.

"So much death…" Harley murmured. He turned away, and then went down into the burrows to see Clover. The vixen was curled up in her den, with three tiny bundles of fur tucked against her belly.

"Hey, Clover," Harley whispered. The vixen slowly looked up at him, her eyes dull and full of grief.

"He promised," Clover said faintly. "Cedar promised he'd be back…"

"I know. Before…before he passed, he told me to tell you he was sorry. He just wanted to protect you, and them." Harley looked down at the newborn foxes, which were letting out tiny squeaks as they suckled their mother.

"It's just not fair," Clover sobbed. "My father, brother, _and_ mate are now gone…"

"It's going to be okay." Harley touched his nose to hers. "Quicksilver and Thistle and I will take care of you, and your kits." He looked down at the babies. Despite being born a bit early, they looked healthy and strong. Two of them had Blaze's dark brown fur, while the third was red like Clover.

"Have you thought of names for them?" Harley asked, trying to distract Clover from her sad thoughts.

Clover nodded. She nosed one of the brown kits. "This is Shasta. He's the only male." She gestured to the other brown one. "This is Ivy, and next to her is Lily."

"Blaze would have been proud to see them," said Harley. He gave Clover's ear a lick, and then went to his own den, where he collapsed and did not move for several days. Quicksilver brought him food and tended to his injuries. Sometimes he would wake up in the middle of the night, screaming for Cedar or Riker, and she would comfort him.

"I wish Riker hadn't died," he whispered to her one night. His body shook as he spoke. "He was wild and arrogant, and I thought I hated him. I can't forgive what he did to Cedar. But…in the end, he remembered he was my brother. Is it wrong…to sort of miss him?"

"Not at all," Quicksilver told him. She licked his ears. "To be honest, I don't think he totally hated you. He was just…too caught up in what he did best, hunting. You know?"

Harley nodded. He leaned his head against Quicksilver's pregnant belly. "I'm not going to let any of our pups become like that. I'm going to teach them that it doesn't matter whether you're a fox or a hound—we're all the same inside."

"You're going to be a wonderful father, Harley." She nuzzled him. "I know for sure."

Eventually, Harley began to leave the den. For the next few months, he forced himself to move on with life. He hunted with Quicksilver, though eventually she became too swollen and fatigued to hunt. So Thistle would assist him in hunting, while Quicksilver would stay behind and help Clover take care of her kits.

"They're growing quickly," Harley spoke to Cedar and Blaze's graves one day. "I wish you could see them."

Shasta, the biggest kit, was also the liveliest. The first time Clover brought him and his sisters outside of the den, he tried to follow Harley and Thistle on a hunt.

"No, you're not big enough," Clover scolded, holding him back by the scruff of the neck.

"Yes I am!" Shasta protested, kicking his little feet. "Let me go—I wanna help!"

"One day, Shasta," said Harley with a smile. _He's definitely got his father's stubbornness,_ he noted.

A few more weeks passed, and summer began to fade into autumn. The air grew cooler, and the leaves were showing tinges of red and orange. Harley and Quicksilver went for a walk in the forest one day, watching some of the leaves starting to fall from the trees.

"They're beautiful," said Harley. "But not as beautiful as you."

"Oh, Harley, you're so cheesy. But I love you," Quicksilver laughed. Suddenly, she let out a gasp, and fell to the ground.

"Quicksilver!" Harley crouched over his mate. "What's wrong!?"

Quicksilver groaned, struggling to get back to her paws. "I…I think the puppies are coming…"


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"Clover, help! Quicksilver's in labor!" Harley cried as he helped Quicksilver walk over to the burrows. Clover leaped out of her den and was by their side immediately.

"Thistle, watch the kits!" Clover followed the two dogs into their den, helping Quicksilver lie down and get comfortable.

"Just breathe slowly and steadily," she told the greyhound. Just then, they heard the pattering of small paws coming down the tunnel to the den.

"Shasta, get back here!" Thistle called from above. The kit ignored him, bouncing into the den.

"Can I watch!?" he cried.

"Shasta, get out!" Clover snapped.

"But I wanna see!" he whined. Thistle came crawling into the burrow and pulled the protesting kit away.

"Harley, I think it's best if you step outside for a while," Clover told the hound gently.

"What? But why…" Harley began.

"Harley…please…this…is a female thing…" Quicksilver panted.

Harley reluctantly went outside. For the next hour or so, he paced nervously back and forth. What if something went wrong? Quicksilver had taken quite a beating while fighting off Riker's pack…were all the puppies okay? He winced as he heard his mate cry out in pain in the den below.

After what seemed like forever, Clover came up to the surface.

"Is she okay!?" Harley demanded.

"She's fine." Clover smiled brightly at him. "Oh Harley…your puppies are beautiful!"

Harley slowly made his way down the tunnel, never have felt so nervous in his life. He peered into the den cautiously. "Quicksilver…?"

"Hey, Harley. Come meet your pups."

Harley crawled closer, and gasped at what he saw. Gathered around Quicksilver's belly, squeaking and scrambling over each other, were no less than seven tiny puppies.

Quicksilver laughed. "Harley, if your jaw drops any lower, it will touch the ground!"

"I…I just didn't expect there to be…so many!" He laughed, tears stinging his eyes. For the first time since Cedar's death, he felt truly happy. "Oh Quicksilver, they're perfect!"

"Quicksilver, Harley?" Clover called from outside. "My kits would like to see the puppies. Can they?"

"Yes, they can!" Quicksilver called back. The three kits came scurrying down the tunnel, Clover sticking her head in to keep an eye on them.

"Don't touch them, just look," she said sternly.

"Whoa!" Shasta cried. "They're so…tiny!" He reached out a paw and touched one of them.

"Shasta! What did I just say!?" Clover snapped.

"I just wanted to see if they do anything," said Shasta.

"They were just _born_, stupid!" Ivy rolled her eyes at her brother.

"I think they're lovely," said Lily, looking adoringly at the pups.

"Thank you, Lily," said Quicksilver.

"Are any of them boys?" Shasta asked.

Quicksilver nodded. "There are four boys and three girls."

"Alright! Now I have other boys to play with!" Shasta swished his tail in excitement. Everyone chuckled.

"Okay, let's let them be," said Clover, shooing her kits outside.

Harley lay down, curling up with Quicksilver, as he watched his puppies suckle from her.

"I'm so glad you've finally arrived," Harley murmured to them. "I need some more happiness in my life. I went through hell and back to be where I am now. But don't worry, I promise that you little ones will always live in peace."


End file.
